Exclusive | 'This young Indian team can beat England in England, they have the capability': Ex-Indian cricketer Ajay Mehra

Anyone who follows international cricket will know just how tough it is for a touring team to win a Test series in England. In the last decade, only two teams have managed to pull that off. Sri Lanka won a 2-Test series 1-0 in 2014 and then New Zealand recorded the same series scoreline, again in a 2-Test series, in 2021. The last time the English lost a 5-Test series at home was way back in 2001, when they were trounced 4-1 by the Aussies in the Ashes.

Team India haven’t won a Test series in England, incidentally, since 2007, when they won a 3-Test series 1-0, with Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble taking 32 wickets between them and Dinesh Karthik finishing as the third highest run-getter in the series, with 263 runs.

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The upcoming 5-Test series between India and England, which starts this Friday (June 20), will be a watershed moment for the Indian team for multiple reasons. For the first time in 14 years, an Indian Test squad will be without the services of retired stalwarts – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin. The team will be led by Shubman Gill, who is the fifth youngest Indian Test captain of all time (25 years and 285 days on June 20), after the likes of MAK Pataudi, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri.

Also, India’s pace spearhead and someone who is expected to be the tourists’ biggest bowling weapon – Jasprit Bumrah – will be available for only three of five Tests , because his workload has to be managed very carefully. There are also two players who have got their maiden Test call-ups – Arshdeep Singh and Sai Sudharsan. And there are two players who are making comebacks to the Test side – Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur.

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Needless to say, everyone is waiting with bated breath to see how Team India fare against the English in their own backyard. The last time India toured England, in 2021-22, the two sides played out a 2-2 draw in the 5-Test series.

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This series will also mark the beginning of the 2025-2027 WTC cycle and could well be a series to remember. If one compares the two English sides – the one that played the last time these two teams clashed in a Test series (2023-24 in India), and the squad announced for the first Test this time, there’s no James Anderson (retired). Fans will miss the intensity of the Virat Kohli vs Anderson duel, which became the cornerstone attraction of India vs England Tests, with Virat scoring 305 runs in 36 innings against Anderson and the England legend dismissing Virat 7 times.

England will also not have the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson for the first Test vs India – all of whom were part of the 2023-24 series in India.

While a lot of experts feel that Team India will struggle in England and let’s face it – this will be baptism by fire for the new captain, Shubman Gill, prominent commentator and former cricketer Ajay Mehra, feels this young Indian team can, in fact, beat England in England.

Mehra, who played for teams like Punjab and Rajasthan in Indian domestic cricket, across 59 matches, with a highest score of 200 not out in First-Class cricket and who is also the son of former India Test player, Vijay Mehra, spoke to Firstpost in an exclusive interview about Team India’s chances in the upcoming series, the possibility of the likes of Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran making the playing XI cut, India’s young pace bowling attack for this series, Shubman as new India Test captain and much more.

Excerpts from the interview.

Your take on Shubman being appointed new Test captain - was expected after Bumrah picked up that injury in Australia and it became clear he won’t be able to take the rigours of all five Tests on an away tour etc. This tour will be baptism by fire for Shubman, you think?

Ajay Mehra: Well, it’s a double-edged sword. Sometimes you want to have a young captain. I remember, in 1962 – the Nawab of Pataudi (MAK Pataudi) took over the captaincy (at the age of 21 he was India’s youngest Test captain) and did a great job for the Indian side (first Indian captain to win an overseas series – India beat New Zealand 3-1 in 1967-68). Nari Contractor got injured and MAK Pataudi, who was the vice-captain, was promoted to captaincy and he led the country to some fantastic wins. Sometimes you need a young captain, a captain selected because the selectors are looking at the future of Indian cricket, because you want the captain to be around for some time. That’s the call the current selectors have also taken and I personally feel, Akaash, that this is the right call.

It’s not easy for a bowling captain at times. Someone like Bumrah, he has had injuries plaguing him. Of course, we all know the kind of world-class bowler that he is, there’s no doubt about that. But I feel it was a good call to pick Shubman. Of course, it will be tough for him and he will need to have new ideas, along with the coaching staff. They have the team, it’s just about what kind of combination you go into the games with, how much confidence you can instil into the youngsters, especially considering there are so many youngsters in the Indian team now.

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A quick word now on KL Rahul. He has to be a first-choice player, right? Century in a warm-up game. Should he open with Yashasvi? And do you think we will see Sai at 3 and Shubman at 4?

Ajay Mehra: Well, the exact batting order is a call that Shubman and the coaching staff will be taking. But I think that surely KL Rahul has to fit into the playing XI, because just going by his experience, his class, his technique – when you are playing in England, you have to be technically very sound. KL Rahul is someone who can shift gears, he is a very mature cricketer now. We saw him at the Champions Trophy which India won recently (140 runs in 4 innings, with 3 not-out innings and an average of 140).

He has adjusted to all formats, he did well in the warm-up match (116 and 51 for India A vs England Lions). His form augurs well for him and the team (also scored a half century in the intra-squad match between India and India A). He is a quality player and I feel he should be selected straight away for the first Test.

What about Karun Nair - double century in the first warm-up game. He has been in prolific form in domestic cricket. Should he definitely be in the playing XI? Where do you play him?

Ajay Mehra: Again, a quality player. He has got loads and loads of runs for Vidarbha. He made a comeback, got a double hundred in one of the warm-up games (204 off 281 balls for India A vs England Lions in the 1st unofficial Test in Canterbury, batting at number 3). Whether he plays or not depends on the kind of combination you go in with. Do you play a Sai Sudharsan straight away?  Do you give Karun Nair a chance? Where does Shubman Gill bat? Where does KL Rahul bat? This is of course something that the team management will be looking into. One good thing also is that the team has many openers. Opening batters usually have good techniques and they can bat at number three as well. So, it depends on who you play, but I am very sure that Karun Nair will be getting some opportunities, because there is no Virat Kohli, there is no Rohit Sharma.

He (Nair) has got a triple-hundred at Test match level (303* vs England in the 5th Test in Chennai in 2016) and just the way he has played domestic cricket, just the way he has played for Vidarbha – he has been absolutely brilliant. Also, not to forget – he had a stint with a county side (for Northamptonshire), so he knows the conditions in England. Once you have played a fair bit in England, you can adapt pretty well. So, I think all these small factors can make a big difference.

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Do you see Abhimanyu Easwaran finally making his India debut? The 29-year-old has been around for such a long time and has scored tons of runs at domestic level for Bengal, and has been on the selectors’ radar for years, but is yet to make his Test debut. 

Ajay Mehra: Abhimanyu is a class-act. I have watched him a lot. He has scored so many runs for Bengal. A terrific, terrific player. But there’s a real fight for places (at the top of the order). There’s (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul – so many (potential) openers. So, it remains to be seen if he (Abhimanyu) is included in the playing XI, but surely if gets an opportunity, I feel that he has the (right) ingredients (to succeed). He has been a run-machine for Bengal cricket and for East Zone as well. So, we just have to wait and see if he gets the opportunity (to play for India) or not.

Bowlers win Test matches. What do you make of India’s bowling squad this time? Arshdeep will be making his Test debut, Bumrah will be available for only three Tests…

Ajay Mehra: I feel Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah are going to be very important. Yes, Bumrah will be available for only three of the five Tests, but I think the bowling resources are very good. One man who you have to mention is Prasidh Krishna. The way he bowled in the IPL (Purple Cap winner in the 2025 season with 25 wickets). He has been a revelation, absolutely outstanding. But I think the most important thing when you are playing a long Test series is that your main bowlers remain fit. If that is the case then it really augurs well for the side.

So, fitness of the bowlers is going to be very important. But India do have the resources. They have pace. Someone like Arshdeep gets movement. There’s variety. They are wicket-taking bowlers. They have skill and have some of them have bowled well outside India as well. So, it’s about finding the right lengths, how you adapt to the conditions. That will be important. Someone like Bumrah – with this side – I think he will make a difference. He can lend his experience to all the youngsters who are coming into the side, especially to someone like Arshdeep (maiden Test call-up).

India also have the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep and Washington in their ranks as the spinners. Do you see spin playing a big role in the series, or will it be pace out and out?

Ajay Mehra: That is going to be a dilemma. When you have green (top) surfaces, you really can’t be going in with two spinners, because of course you will be relying more on the seamers. We shouldn’t forget one man who is making a comeback – Shardul Thakur (122* off 68 balls for India A vs India in the intra-squad warm-up match against the likes of Bumrah, Siraj, Krishna and Arshdeep. He also took 4 wickets). There will be one (fast-bowling) all-rounder as well (in the playing XI). As far as the spinners are concerned - there’s (Ravindra) Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav in the squad.

On green surfaces, a wrist spinner might get more purchase than a finger spinner. Jadeja is of course a class-act, a very seasoned campaigner, but I don’t see two spinners playing (in the Indian playing XI), unless there’s something in the surface for the spinners. Normally at this time of the year, when you are playing in England, it’s going to be very good conditions for the seam bowlers.

The England squad that was announced for the first Test (14-member squad) is somewhat different from the one that played against India in 2023-24. There’s no Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes or Ollie Robinson. James Anderson has retired. But would it be fair to say that the home team are going to be the big favourites in this series?

Ajay Mehra: I wouldn’t say England will be favourites. This Indian side, to be very honest, they have the capability and the fire-power to win this series. Yes, there are a lot of challenges (for Team India), there’s no doubt about that. There’s a young captain, a new side, no Virat Kohli, no Rohit Sharma. But still, looking at the quality in the Indian team, they can upset England. They have the quality. I think India can win this series, but they will have to play to their potential.