Opinion
A couple of weeks after retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India are set to host England in a four-Test series.
The matches should be entertaining, and England would like to emulate their 2012 heroics when they won the series 2-1, under the leadership of Sir Alastair Cook.
India have not lost a Test series at home since then. In the upcoming series, they start as heavy favourites to continue their dominant run.
The series is extremely crucial in the World Test Championship. New Zealand have already qualified and the winner of the series is likely to face them at Lord’s.
India will have to win at least two matches and England will have to win three. If the series ends 1-0 in either team’s favour or ends in a draw, Australia will face New Zealand.
Several familiar faces, including Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari and Umesh Yadav, are missing out for them. However, the hosts have captain Virat Kohli plus Ishant Sharma and Hardik Pandya coming back.
My story looks to predict and analyse India’s playing XI for the first Test in Chennai, starting on Friday.
1. Shubman Gill
Matches: three, innings: six, runs: 259, average: 51.80, high score: 91, 50s: two, 100s: zero
One of the finds of the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Shubman Gill showed incredible grit and elegant stroke play at the top of the order.
He batted well on his debut in the Boxing Day Test and hit a well-made 50 in Sydney. His knock of 91 at the Gabba laid foundations for India’s unlikely victory. Gill’s adventure in Australia attracted a lot of plaudits.
He has been one of the best performers of India’s domestic Ranji Trophy in recent years (with a career first-class average of around 67) and can play both spin and pace well.
He would like to be a competent opening partner to Rohit Sharma and grow his reputation further in the series.
2. Rohit Sharma
Matches: 34, innings: 57, runs: 2270, average: 45.40, high score: 212, 50s: 11, 100s: six
Rohit Sharma has flourished since moving up the order as an opener in 2019. In ten innings, he has averaged 68.50 and has scored three centuries and a 50. Sharma was handy in Australia and blew away more than one good start. He would like to continue that form against England.
Sharma is immense in India, averaging over 88 in 20 innings. All six of his centuries have come at home. India will hope that their openers can give good starts as they look to book a place in the World Test Championship final.
3. Cheteshwar Pujara
Matches: 81, innings: 136, runs: 6111, average: 47.74, high score: 206*, 50s: 28, 100s: 18
Cheteshwar Pujara stood firm, like a rock, in Australia. He was one of the heroes of the series win, playing 972 balls and finishing as India’s second highest run-scorer with 271 runs.
(Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP via Getty Images)
He has been one of the key batsmen for India over the years and one of the most important players of the current Indian Test side.
In 2012 against England at home, Pujara got his highest Test score. He will want to emulate that in the upcoming series. India’s top three will be important if they want to score big against England.
4. Virat Kohli (captain)
Matches: 87, innings: 147, runs: 7318, average: 53.41, high score: 254*, 50s: 23, 100s: 27
Captain Virat Kohli returns to the Indian team after missing the last three Tests against Australia.
He is the best batsman of the team and his return should galvanise the home side. Kohli finished 2020 without a single international century. For the first time since his debut in 2008 Kohli finished a calendar year without a 100-plus score. He will be raring to change that and there would not be a better occasion than his first match of the year.
Alongside Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, Kohli scores most of India’s runs and adds stability to India’s batting.
He averages over 68 at home and hit a double century when England last toured India. He finished that series with 655 runs at an average of around 110. If Kohli comes close to matching that record, England will have their task cut out.
5. Ajinkya Rahane
Matches: 69, innings: 117, runs: 4471, average: 42.58, high score: 188, 50s: 22, 100s: 12
In Kohli’s absence, Rahane led India commendably in Australia. The visitors retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and Rahane now finds himself back as the vice-captain.
He will go back at number five, where he usually bats when Kohli plays. Rahane will want to complement Pujara and Kohli well and keep England at bay.
With just 63 runs in five innings at an average of 12.60 when England last toured India, Rahane had a series to forget. He would like to improve on that this time. His performances will come in handy for India in the series.
6. Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
Matches: 16, innings: 27, runs: 1088, average: 43.52, high score: 159*, 50s: four, 100s: two
The hero of India’s Brisbane win, Rishabh Pant should don the gloves ahead of Wriddhiman Saha. Saha is a better wicketkeeper, and Pant’s selection could irk the cricket purists. Granted, Pant may find it challenging to keep wickets in spinning conditions, but his exploits in Australia make him an automatic selection in the Indian team.
(Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
With 274 in three matches, he was India’s highest scorer. Pant won a Test for India and gave the side a fighting chance in Sydney. During the series, he became India’s fastest ever wicketkeeper-batsman to score 1000 Test runs, ahead of MS Dhoni.
To date, he has played only two innings in India, scoring 92 in both, against the West Indies. Pant will like to carry his form from down under and be a key performer for India in the series.
7. Washington Sundar
Matches: one, innings: two, runs: 84, average: 42, high score: 62, 50s: one, 100s: zero, wickets: four, bowling average: 42.25, best bowling innings: 3-89, strike rate: 73.5
Had someone told Washington Sundar that he would made his India debut in Australia, the youngster would not have believed them. An untimely injury to Ravindra Jadeja opened the gates, and Sundar starred at the Gabba.
Still only 21, he started his career as a batsman, before making the name as a spinner. Sundar is likely to face competition from Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur for a place in the Indian playing XI. However, with Chennai’s pitch traditionally favouring spin and the ball staying low, he could get the nod.
Selecting Sundar would also let India play with three spinners, something they have done often at home in recent years. Replacing Jadeja is not an easy task for anyone, and if Sundar could do that, Kohli will be a happy captain.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
Matches: 74, innings: 103, runs: 2467, average: 27.71, high score: 124, 50s: 11, 100s: four, wickets: 377, bowling average: 25.53, best bowling innings: 7-59, strike rate: 54.0
He may have missed the last Test against Australia, but Ravichandran Ashwin should return to action on his home ground. Ashwin recently surpassed Muttiah Muralitharan to become the bowler who has dismissed the most left-handers in Test cricket (192).
He would like to bamboozle English batsmen, who have not always been comfortable against spin. He was the highest wicket taker during England’s 2016 series in India, bagging 28 scalps. He dismissed Ben Stokes five times in nine innings. So far, Ashwin has dismissed Stokes seven times in Tests, and he would like to keep the good work going.
Being 23 wickets away from 400 will also be tempting and Ashwin would like to reach the landmark in the series. In Jadeja’s absence, Ashwin’s batting in the lower order will be important for India.
(Photo by Peter Mundy/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
9. Kuldeep Yadav
Matches: six, innings: ten, wickets: 24, bowling average: 24.12, best bowling innings: 5-57, strike rate: 41.2
India’s bowling coach, Bharat Arun, recently backed Kuldeep Yadav to perform well whenever he will be given an opportunity.
“He is bowling magnificently now and in India, when we play these four Tests (against England) it will be his time,” Arun said.
The backing comes at a good time for the left-arm wrist-spinner, who finds himself in and out of the Indian national side due to his erratic form. Eyebrows were raised when Sundar was picked over him for the Brisbane Test, but the decision got vindicated.
Yadav will have a role to play in India’s spin-friendly conditions. He will likely roll his arm in the first Test. Since debuting in 2017, he has played just six games, and taken 24 wickets.
His exploits include two career five-wicket hauls and in his last assignment, Yadav took five wickets against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2019. Yadav will back himself to perform in home conditions and once again become a regular for India.
10. Ishant Sharma
Matches: 97, innings: 175, wickets: 297, bowling average: 32.39, best bowling innings: 7-74, strike rate: 61.1
After missing out on the Australia tour with a side strain, Ishant Sharma should find himself back in the Test side. It will be incredibly harsh on pacer Mohammed Siraj, who was one of the finds of the Australia tour.
However, Ishant’s experience and his ability to bowl long spells should get him the nod. He will be returning to the national side for the first time in a year and is just three wickets away from getting 300 career wickets in Test cricket.
Sharma is in line to become just the second Indian seamer after Kapil Dev to play 100 Test matches. He is the most experienced bowler of this attack and will like to better his 2016 performance, when he played just one match.
India are likely to go with two seamers against England, and Ishant’s role alongside Jasprit Bumrah will be important.
11. Jasprit Bumrah
Matches: 17, innings: 34, wickets: 79, bowling average: 21.59, best bowling innings: 6-27, strike rate: 47.9
An absolute no brainer, Jasprit Bumrah is India’s best bowler. He missed the last Test against Australia but is fit to face England.
He will be one of the bowlers to watch out for and the Chennai Test will be Bumrah’s first Test in India. While the Indian pitches have traditionally offered more purchase to spinners, he has flourished as a limited-overs bowler at home.
Bumrah’s performances will be vital for India in the series. If Bumrah can match his overseas performances at home, it would be a hill too steep for England.
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