Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri has provided his backing to a handful of Indian players on the periphery of the current Indian Test setup, with an eye on the five-match Test series to begin in England in just over a month.

Shastri named a couple of batters and bowlers to keep an eye on for selection ahead of the tour, with India looking at a mini-revamp after a couple of disastrous series at home against New Zealand and away in Australia to close out the last cycle of the WTC.

Shastri focused on Sai Sudharsan, who has impressed in the ongoing IPL with an immense combination of airtight technique and reliability. Speaking on the ICC Review, Shastri said: “I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all formats of the game. He seems like a class player and my eyes would be on him certainly.”

Sudharsan is already an Indian international, having played three ODIs against South Africa in 2023. Shastri backed Sudharsan given his recent experience in the County cricket circuit during a spell at Surrey.

“Being a left-hander in England, knowing English conditions, and just his technique, the way he plays, I think he'll be top of the list for me from the outsiders wanting to get into this side,” explained Shastri.

Shastri on lookout for particular type of bowler

In terms of the bowling unit, Shastri emphasised the need for having a left-arm seamer in the setup. While he backed the three-headed dragon of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami, he noted the importance of variety, and backed a couple of left-arm pacers to be in the picture for the tour.

“I'll be looking for a left-armer. I'll be keeping an eye on which left-armer is in good form, and try and squeeze him in there as the sixth (bowling) option,” said Shastri. “It could be anyone. It could even be a white-ball specialist. I don't like this thing when they say someone like Arshdeep Singh is a ‘white-ball specialist’.”

While Arshdeep Singh has been in consideration for a Test role, his ability to bowl longer spells has been the one question mark. Shastri noted this, but backed Arshdeep given his tenacity and mental approach to bowling.

“I'll keep a close eye on his red-ball record as well and the number of overs he bowls. If he can bowl 15-20 overs for me, he might very well be in the mix because he's got the mindset. He's a thinking bowler and I need a left-armer. It's just that.”

Shastri also made an argument for Khaleel Ahmed, who is another former Indian international hunting for a comeback. After a couple of strong seasons, Khaleel has caught the attention as one of the bright spots in a strange Chennai Super Kings season. Capable of swinging it both ways at pace, Khaleel is a bowler who could find joy in England.

“You need a left-armer, go and find him, whoever it is and whoever is the best of the lot – pick them. There's Khaleel Ahmed, who again, his rhythm is good, he's bowling well. So it's important to get that mix,” explained Shastri.

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