Arshdeep Singh has received his first call-up to the Test squad for the upcoming England series. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes that the Indian Cricket Team should include Arshdeep Singh in the starting lineup for the five-Test series against England.
Arshdeep Singh, who coached Arshdeep at Punjab Kings during the recent IPL 2025 season, highlighted Arshdeep’s left-arm angle and his ability to swing the new ball as a potential “point of difference” for the team. He even said he would be “surprised” if Arshdeep wasn’t selected.
This series will mark Arshdeep’s debut in Test cricket for India. While he has been an excellent bowler in white-ball formats, he played a key role in India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
Ricky Ponting has expressed strong support for Arshdeep Singh’s potential Test debut for India in England.
Arshdeep has shown solid performance in first-class cricket, taking 66 wickets at an average of 30.37 across 21 matches. He has also gained valuable experience playing county cricket for Kent in Division One, where he took 13 wickets in five games.
Arshdeep Singh said, “I would actually include him in India’s Test team at the start of the England series. He’s very skillful; having played county cricket, he’s familiar with the conditions there. I believe the Dukes ball used in England will suit his style as well.
Also, having a left-arm bowler like him would provide a useful variation in the team. If India doesn’t pick a left-armer, it would surprise me. In England, the ball tends to swing even after 30 to 50 overs, so having a bowler who can swing the ball and is a left-armer is something India should definitely consider for the tour.”
The Test series between England and India will start on June 20 in Leeds. The second Test will take place at Edgbaston, Birmingham, from July 2. The third Test begins on July 10 at Lord’s.
The fourth Test is scheduled for Manchester starting July 23, and the final, fifth Test will be held at The Oval in London from July 31.
India’s Test squad for the England tour includes: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain and wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
