With the Men's T20 World Cup on the horizon in 2024, much of the focus on the Indian team has been on the T20I setup, including the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the white-ball series against Afghanistan in January.
However, the more immediate assignment for the Men in Blue is the home Test series against England, beginning at the end of this month. India's squad for the five-match series was announced on Friday night, with Ishan Kishan missing out as uncapped wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel was named among the 16.
Three wicketkeepers have been named in the squad; Jurel, KL Rahul and KS Bharat. But who will be the preferred option behind the stumps?
Who will keep wickets for India in the England Test series?
From August 2018 to December 2022, India used just two wicketkeepers; Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha. Last year, KS Bharat kept wickets for Australia's tour of India, with Pant out of action due to his car accident, and the management opting to move on from Saha.
Ishan Kishan took over the gloves in West Indies in July last year, before KL Rahul was behind the stumps for the tour of South Africa. Kishan is not in the current squad.
On Tuesday, January 23, India coach Rahul Dravid said, "KL Rahul will not play as wicketkeeper in Test series against England considering the conditions and duration of the series."
Rahul is not a specialist wicketkeeper but reportedly, was handed the gloves for the tour of South Africa as he would stand back to the pacers for the majority of the time. On turning tracks in India, with keepers required to repeatedly squat and stand, the team management wants a specialist, both from a proficiency and fitness perspective for Rahul.
The decision, therefore, is between KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel. Both players were in action for India A against England Lions, with Jurel keeping on that occasion. The youngster also boasts a first-class batting average of 46 compared to Bharat's 36, but the team management may (at least initially) be tempted to opt for experience.
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