Courtesy: BCCI
It clearly seems that there is something about Headingley in Leeds that seems to have the Indian batters in the off, a little bit or maybe truth be told, it could just be the type of venue where it seems that for some reason our batters haven't really been at their best.
Make no mistake about the fact that not one of them have played several or too many games at this venue, truth be told, in order to make an impact. So let us not take that lightly as well.
But while on the one hand batters like Sai Sudharsan, about to debut, and Yashasvi Jaiwal, still relatively new to the game, have hardly ever played a test match at Leeds, some of their seniors or to put it rightly, more experienced countrymen too, have faltered at Headingley.
Now having said that, let us find out which batters in the current context of Indian Test team have played in Headingley before.
Indian Batters who will have a lot to prove at Headingley in ENG vs IND Test
KL Rahul
The magnificent KL Rahul who has scored a fine 199 against the very English team he will lock horns in the next few hours, is clearly, and by far, the best current Indian batter in Test cricket contests.
He will be expected to carry a big role where it comes to run-making in England.
But again, the problem comes at scoring runs, rather not scoring too many at all, where it comes to Leeds' Headingly.
Thus far, even KL Rahul, similar to Jadeja and Pant, has played just one game here in which the returns from his bat were modest single-digit scores in each of the innings of that 2021 Test match.
Rahul, a dogged right hander and now, a senior member of the Indian batting lineup made scores of 0 and 8. It didn't help that he ended up scoring a duck in his first time ever as an Indian bat at Leeds, his maiden opportunity at this venue.
This time around, some big runs are needed. Right, KL?
Rishabh Pant
Dashing, audacious and carefree - the man described as "Spidy" of Indian cricket, may want to act more agile and maybe with a sense of focus and added ability when batting at Headingley. The simple reason behind this statement behind that so far, while Rishabh Pant has played just one Test match at Leeds, he made only three runs at the venue.
This was back in the 2021 Test contest, in which, his current batting average, having wielded a bat twice, sits at an unpretty 1.5.
Despicable even!
Can things be changed this time around? Only time holds the answer.
Ravindra Jadeja
Sir Jadeja, such a criticial component of the famed Indian test team, still has his work cut out for him.
While at the outset he has played 20 Test matches against the mighty English side and that leads to 33 innings, he's only played a solitary Test at Leeds, Headingley.
Now in this contest, as a batter, Jadeja scored 4 and 30, back in 2021.
He got his wickets taken by Overton and Curran.
But this was back in the day. For someone who averages a respectable 34 with the cricket bat, Jadeja's outings at Leeds beckon some fresh new assaults to be waged with the willow. Can he turn it around this time?
