The Indian unit are desperate for a strong response after their heartbreaking loss in the first test. With the batting order primarily being responsible for the defeat at Edgbaston, Virat Kohli has several things to ponder upon when it comes to the selection ahead of the second of the five match test series.
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After the controversial exclusion of Chesteshwar Pujara and the struggles of the Indian batting order to the traditional English conditions barring Virat Kohli suggests major changes in the Indian batting setup.
1) Murali Vijay
Despite the opener’s lackluster performance in both the innings, Vijay’s record in England might be enough to keep his place in the playing eleven.
2) KL Rahul
Shikhar Dhawan’s horror tour in whites right from the warm-up game translated into the first game where he was dismissed after a start. KL Rahul might be promoted up the order due to his recent performances in the limited overs series against England.
3) Cheteshwar Pujara
The traditional No.3’s unexpected exclusion took several by surprise and his absence hurt the Men In Blue as Kohli lacked a partner to string a partnership with.
4) Virat Kohli
Having scored half of India’s runs in the first test, Kohli will hope to find contributions from other batsmen to stand a chance against England at Lord’s.
5) Ajinkya Rahane.
Despite his horrendous form as of late, the Indian vice-captain will most likely take the field at Lord’s having played a match winning knock on his last trip at the home of cricket.
6) Dinesh Karthik
The wicket-keeper batsman looked in good touch in the second innings and is expected to don the gloves.
7) Ravindra Jadeja
Hardik Pandya had a decent outing with the bat at Edgbaston, however, he was hardly used with the ball and with the dry weather in London, Virat Kohli has already confessed that he would be tempted to bring an extra spinner in.
If the pitch is dry and could break up later on in the innings, you couldn’t get a better bowler than Jadeja, who will bowl line and length and use his natural variation to perfection.
8) Ravichandran Ashwin
The Kings XI captain managed to unexpectedly sizzle with the ball and was the pick of the Indian bowlers with his clever variations.
9) Mohammed Shami
Shami managed to shine out of the pack for brief spells and managed to troube the batsmen which is enough to keep his place in the XI.
10) Ishant Sharma
Sharma is the focal point in the Indian fast bowling line-up ahead of the Lord’s test as he returns to the ground where he took India to a historic victory with a 7-wicket haul. The lanky pacer’s 5-fer in the second innings showed why he deserves to be in the playing XI.
11) Umesh Yadav
While not prominently being featured in the wickets column in the first test, Yadav looked good in patches and could be a vital asset for India in the crucial second test.
