3 ways in which India can line up without Virat Kohli in the first 2 Tests vs England

Former captain Virat Kohli, who was India's standout batter in the recently concluded two-Test series against South Africa, will not be available for selection for the first two matches against England.

Kohli will leave a massive hole at No. 4, and India are yet to name a replacement for him in the squad. While the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, B Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran are in contention to be called up, the hosts might want to stick to players from the contingent they have already picked.

Without Kohli, batting-order shuffles are almost inevitable. Luckily for the team management, they are not short of options, with plenty of talent available across the board.

India’s squad for the first two Tests vs England: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Avesh Khan.

Below are three ways in which India can line up without Virat Kohli in the first two Tests against England.

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#3 Either Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja could be used up the order

Ravindra Jadeja forms an integral part of the Test batting lineup

Ravindra Jadeja is one of India's most important Test batters. Without him, they struggled in the first Test against South Africa, and the southpaw's technical ability and patience have won the country plenty of matches both home and away.

Meanwhile, Axar Patel averages more than 40 with the bat in Test cricket. He is an excellent player of spin and has made invaluable contributions on turning tracks at home, often batting with the tail and steering India through troubled waters with calmness and ease.

Turning tracks are expected during the first two Tests against England, and it wouldn't be the worst thing to have either Jadeja or Axar move up into the middle order. The duo are slated to come in at No. 7 and No. 8 respectively as things currently stand, but they are certainly capable of taking on more responsibility.

Either Jadeja or Axar could bat in the top five to add some solidity in Kohli's absence, with the likes of KS Bharat and Shubman Gill batting below them in the lineup.

Potential lineup: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

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#2 KL Rahul, relieved of his keeping duties, could bat at No. 4

KL Rahul won't keep wickets for India during the England Tests

Head coach Rahul Dravid has announced that KL Rahul, who kept wickets for the first time in Test cricket against South Africa, will not don the gloves against England. That has opened up the chance for KS Bharat to enter the fray.

Rahul, now relieved of his keeping duties, could bat at No. 4 as a direct replacement for Kohli. The 31-year-old doesn't have a great record in the middle order - while he has never batted at No. 4, he averages only 17.6 at No. 3 and 29 at No. 6.

Nevertheless, Rahul is a player who certainly has the ability to bat anywhere in the lineup. Technically sound against both pace and spin, the experienced batter is in search of a breakthrough series that nails down his spot in the Test side.

India might not want to change too many things for a series as important as the upcoming one. Swapping Kohli for Rahul will allow them to maintain the same players on either side of the No. 4 spot as they search for stability.

Potential lineup: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

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#1 Rahul could bat at No. 3, with the others in more suitable positions

Shubman Gill hasn't been at his best while batting at No. 3

While stability might be a good thing in the long run, Shubman Gill looks out of place at No. 3 right now. The 24-year-old has some issues with his technique and hasn't been able to come good in the top order in Test cricket so far.

Gill's game is more suited to batting lower in the lineup, perhaps at No. 4 or No. 5. Now without Kohli, India have an very good chance to give him that role, with Rahul tasked with going in at the fall of the first wicket.

So India could use Rahul, whose ideal role is yet to be ascertained, above Gill. If the senior batter is able to come good at the spot, it will not only greatly benefit the team during Kohli's absence but also tick off a massive box for the long run.

Potential lineup: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.