Shubman Gill or Sai Sudharsan? Ex-Australia captain picks India's number three for England test series

Shubman Gill is the new test skipper of India in tests.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has made his pick for India’s number three batter for the upcoming England test series. The Indian Cricket Team are all set to clash with the Ben Stokes-led side in an away test series. India’s tour of England 2025 will witness five games between both sides.

Shubman Gill, who was appointed as the new test skipper for India last month, will lead the team in the series. The England vs India test series will begin on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds. The series will conclude with the fifth test at The Kennington Oval in London, scheduled to be played from July 31 to August 4.

Shubman Gill’s batting position for the England series has been one of the biggest talking points currently. The right-handed batsman started his career as an opener and then moved to three in the red-ball format. After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s exit from tests, the opening and number four positions are vacant, and Gill can also place himself in either of the slots.

Michael Clarke picks Sai Sudharsan as India’s No.3 batter for the England series

During a podcast on Beyond23 Cricket, Australian legend Clarke said Sai Sudharsan is a good choice at three for the England series. He believes that the left-hander is mentally ready to bat at three for India in the longest format.

“To me, this kid is a superstar, Sai Sudharsan. I think he is a number three in Test cricket. I think he is probably going to open the batting in time in India’s T20I and ODI teams. He is in their Test squad. He gets his first opportunity in England,” he said.

“I think he can walk in straight to bat at number three. I think technically he’s very good, he’s got all the shots, and mentally, he’s ready. He really impressed me and he’s a good-looking player as well,” the 44-year-old added.

Notably, Sudharsan has not played any tests for India so far. He has played one T20I game and three ODIs for the national team, where he showed a wonderful form with the bat. He has impressed with his batting performance in the domestic circuit too. Also, he has a county ton to his name along with one FC century in Australia.

Moreover, the left-handed batsman recently won the Orange Cap in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. As an opener for Gujarat Titans (GT), Sudharsan mustered 759 runs in 15 games to finish as the top run-scorer in the tournament. At an average of 54.21 and a strike rate of 156.17, he hammered one century and six half-centuries in the tournament.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.