Punjab Kings’ bowling coach James Hopes has backed Arshdeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer to be picked in the Indian team for the Test series against England. India are set to tour England for a five-match Test series beginning from June 20. There are several holes to fill in the Test team following the retirements of the star batting duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
With spots up for grabs, James Hopes has backed Arshdeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer to find a place in the squad. Hopes said Arshdeep’s ability to swing the ball both ways makes him an ideal candidate for English conditions. In the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025), Arshdeep has scalped 16 wickets from 11 innings.
“I think he’s (Arshdeep) perfectly suited for the English conditions. He can swing the ball both ways; he can bowl reverse-swing if that’s required. He can bowl around the wicket as a left-armer (seamer) and still take it away from the right-hander,” told Times of India.
Arshdeep has experience of playing county cricket in England for Kent which can come in handy in the ucpoming series. Furthermore, Hopes also said that Shreyas Iyer is ready to get back into the Test arena and should be in contention for England series.
“Shreyas is ready to get back into the Test arena. I think he’s worked hard on his game over the last 12 months. He uses his hands so beautifully, which can be a real asset when you’re playing over there (in England). Yes, I think they both should be seriously considered for the (India) squad,” he added.
Iyer has scored 435 runs from 12 innings in IPL 2025 at an average of 48.33 and a strike rate of 174.69 with four fifties to his name. He last played Tests back in 2024 against England before being dropped from the team midway through the series. It remains to be seen if the selectors show faith in him once again, especially with several youngsters already in contention for a place.