Team Combination: Gill at No.3, Pant at No.5 and Vihari at No.6 could be way forward

Rohit Sharma's first Test as captain will also usher in a new era for India's middle-order with Shubman Gill and Hanuma Vihari all set to become long-term replacements of veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. It is now clear that Rahane and Pujara won't be called for the three Tests this season (two against Sri Lanka and one away game against England) where Vihari and Gill, along with Shreyas Iyer as back-up, will be the options. There are two vacant spots from the last Test that India played in Cape Town and as Virat Kohli plays his 100th Test at Mohali, the three youngsters will be preparing for a long haul in the spots vacated by the two veterans after having made those their own for a decade.

Read AlsoIndia vs Sri Lanka: Virat Kohli hits the nets after brief breather

Former India skipper Virat Kohli, who is set to play his landmark 100th Test against Sri Lanka at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali, returned to the field on Sunday after a brief break.

But the bigger question is who will be the one left out if all three are fit going into the first Test starting March 4? Since Gill is raring to go, head coach Rahul Dravid will perhaps like to use him as a middle-order batter, who can also be an enforcer if the situation demands. There is a distinct possibility that Gill might be used at number three behind Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal. "I believe Shubman is India's best bet at number three. Yes, he has opened but Mayank is there alongside Rohit and Shubman has the game to bat at that number," former national selector and Test opener Devang Gandhi told PTI.

Read AlsoIndia vs Sri Lanka: Indian players get soft quarantine in Mohali

In a welcome relief, the Indian players supposed to join