IND vs ENG 2021: 3 reasons why India must change their playing XI for the Lord's Test

After a rain-forced draw in the first Test at Trent Bridge, Team India will go all out to secure a win in the next game and take a crucial lead in the five-match Test series against England. The second Test starts on August 12 (Thursday) at Lord's in London.

Despite being in the driver's seat before a washout on Day 5, India have a few questions to answer before taking the field at Lord's. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara's lean patch with the bat and a couple of selection conundrums, among other things, are on Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli's plate ahead of the 2nd Test.

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— BCCI (@BCCI) August 10, 2021

With the Lord's Test nearly upon us, we list three reasons why India should not field the same playing XI in the next match.

1. Team India might require the inclusion of another specialist batsman

India's middle-order woes are still far from being answered. In the first innings of the first Test, the visitors were suddenly reduced to 112/4 from 97/0, with all the big guns back in the hut.

The Indian think-tank will be on their toes, desperate to arrest their batting problem. As a result, they might contemplate bringing in one more batsman to increase their depth in the order. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar also highlighted the advantage of potentially playing an additional batsman at Lord's.

While picking his playing XI for the 2nd Test, the cricketer-turned-commentator said:

"A slightly controversial selection because I will like to get a specialist batsman at No.6, some depth in the batting because two or three batsmen are out of form and the ball moves a little as well in England. I feel if Rishabh Pant comes at No. 7, he can prove even more dangerous and can play very well with the tail-enders. I am playing Vihari because the last Test match he played, he batted for 2.5 hours to save India."

2. Team India could do with some more versatility in their bowling attack

While the pace attack did an outstanding job in the first Test of picking up England's 20 wickets, Ravindra Jadeja's inability to strike grabbed attention and many experts believed the bowling attack looked one-dimensional.

Bringing in Ravichandran Ashwin, who is currently in superb form, can bring versatility to the bowling attack. Although he has only 18 wickets under his belt in England, the veteran off-spinner can turn out to be a deadly customer, especially when the pitch has something to offer.

Former cricketer VVS Laxman also backed the inclusion of Ashwin, who adds depth to the bowling attack. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he said:

"I would definitely draft in R Ashwin into the playing XI. It will add depth to the Indian bowling and also versatility and different options to the captain. Irrespective of what the weather forecast or the conditions, R Ashwin is a more than capable bowler. He is skillful enough to perform, not only perform but to put in a match-winning performance and put pressure on the English batters."

3. Team India's middle-order batters are out of form

Although India boast some of the most prolific batters in their line-up, their stars have been far from their usual best. Cheteshwar Pujara, known as the modern-day wall, has managed only 380 runs from eight matches in 2021, while Ajinkya Rahane's total of 268 runs over the same period does not inspire confidence either.

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— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) August 10, 2021

Skipper Virat Kohli is struggling, having scored only 229 runs from six matches at a paltry average of 25.44. India might contemplate changing their batting order and trying someone like Hanuma Vihari, who played exceedingly well in his last Test against Australia.

It will be interesting to see if India make any changes to their playing XI for the 2nd Test in London.