On Wednesday, India take on England in Rajkot in the first of five Test matches between the sides. India come into the series in tremendous form, having whitewashed New Zealand comprehensively in their last series. In doing so, India moved to the top of the ICC Test Rankings. Virat Kohli’s era as captain has started brightly, but he arguably faces his biggest challenge yet in this series. There are still areas for India to improve on and they need to make sure they have a balanced side. Unfortunately for them, many injuries have set them back, meaning several key players will miss out. Nevertheless, the Indian squad is full of talent and will definitely be able to cover the losses. India are the strong favourites heading into this clash and they will be looking to dominate the tourists with both bat and ball.

Batting Unit

India’s top order is one of the best in world cricket. However, India will have a significantly weakened opening pair. The opener Lokesh Rahul will be missing the first Test through injury. Rahul pulled his hamstring in the First Test against New Zealand and still hasn’t recovered. This will come as a huge disappointment to him, as he was in fine form previously, having scored two large hundreds in the West Indies. Moreover, with India’s third choice opener Shikhar Dhawan also missing out (thumb), India have turned to veteran Gautam Gambhir.

Gambhir, who last played for India in their 2014 tour of England, will be expected to open alongside Murali Vijay. The Delhi star is coming into the series off the back of some good domestic form. In his last match, against Odisha, Gambhir scored a huge 147 and looked back at his fluent best. It will be interesting to see if he is able to replicate his form on the international arena once again. There will be lots of pressure on him to deliver, but the home conditions will suit him greatly.

India’s middle order, however, is looking very strong. Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were the three top run scorers in the recently concluded New Zealand series. All three of them averaged over 50 and looked in excellent touch. The form of Pujara will be especially pleasing for the selectors. Prior to the start of that tour, Pujara had come under heavy criticism, for not making big runs and for scoring at too slow a rate. Yet, India’s number three was able to turn his form around and score three fifties and one hundred. With an average of nearly 75 last series, England need to be wary of Pujara.

One talking point which has been raised recently is that Virat Kohli needs to improve his consistency. In the West Indies, Kohli scored his maiden double hundred but then failed to register a score above fifty in his next seven innings. However, he then proceeded to score another double hundred against New Zealand, as he broke his previous high score. It is key for Kohli to find a balance in his batting, in which he is able to consistently contribute. Despite that, Kohli is always a threat and if he gets a start, he will be sure to cash in on it. His ability to play spin is crucial as well, given that England’s spinners are relatively weak, and he will look to dominate their attack.

Lower-Middle Order

Another key component to India’s success is their handy lower order. It is likely that either Karun Nair or Hardik Pandya will replace the injured Rohit Sharma for the number six role. Both of them made their names in the IPL, but have since matured as players. While Pandya is a more aggressive player, Nair has a more classical side to him. It will be a good chance for the young players to have a chance in a relatively pressure free slot, as it will allow them some freedom down the order. They are both very talented players, but Pandya is likely to be preferred for the bowling he offers. His pace bowling is of a high standard, which could allow India to play an extra spinner ahead of a second specialist seamer.

The batting form of wicket keeper Wriddhiman Saha will also be an extra boost for India. In the Second Test against New Zealand, Saha scored two unbeaten fifties. This was off the back of his maiden hundred in the West Indies. For someone expected to bat at seven, his record is phenomenal and he could be key to India posting large totals.

It is also the same scenario with Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin was given a run at number six in the West Indies and he thrived there. He scored two hundreds and looked to be a solid batsman. However, with the introduction of an extra specialist batsman, he was moved back down the order. This helped to significantly improve the depth of the Indian batting line up, as Ashwin (averaging 33) will be batting at eight with Ravindra Jadeja at nine. These all-rounders play a crucial role for India as they are capable of producing important innings down the order.

The Bowlers

Spin will be by far India’s most effective weapon against the English batsmen. England proved that they were extremely vulnerable against spin in their recent tour of Bangladesh. In that tour, England lost 38 wickets to spin as debutant Mehedi Hasan Miraz tore them apart. Therefore, the role of Ravichandran Ashwin will be key. Ashwin, the number one ranked Test bowler in the world, is coming off the back of a phenomenal series against the Kiwis. Ashwin dismantled the New Zealand top order on several occasions and he picked up 27 wickets. This performance was enough to earn him man of the series, with his disciplined line and length being key to his success. He is without a doubt the most threatening bowler and England will struggle to play him.

An equally key bowler is Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja’s bowling record in India is remarkable. He averages around 15 which is a feat unrivalled by any other player. His raw talent was shown in the series against South Africa, in which he picked up 23 wickets at an average of just over 10. Indeed, his last series against New Zealand was equally impressive. This spin attack of Ashwin and Jadeja is key to India’s chances and they will certainly cause the English batsmen numerous problems.

As mentioned earlier, India have been hampered by several injuries. It will be a relief, therefore, to see the return of Ishant Sharma. Ishant, who has been suffering from a series of injuries over the past year, is expected to make his comeback. He has traditionally been India’s frontline seamer and is by far the most experienced bowler in the Indian squad. Sharma has also caused England several problems in the past. Indeed, his best bowling performance came against England at Lord’s in 2014. In that match, Ishant terrorised the England batsmen with the short ball and changed the course of the match. This will be a huge boost to the Indian attack and will make them even more threatening.

Likely XI: