India vs England 2016: 5 players who can become surprise performers

Arguably, the most anticipated of all four Test series which is scheduled for this home season could very well be the one against England. The English have had the wood over India for the last few years or so with the 2012 series victory away from home remaining the crowning point of their recent performances in the longest format.

However, India under Virat Kohli are growing from strength to strength and will be eager to stamp their authority over Alastair Cook’s visiting side when the 5-match series begins at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot from November 9^th. While the focus should understandably be on the Indian spinners as well as the England top-order, there are quite a few players who could play a key role in influencing the series.

Let us take a look at five such cricketers who may turn out to be surprise factors and shine despite being away from the limelight.

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#5 Hardik Pandya

Pandya could be the seam all-rounder India have been searching for

When India named their 15-man squad for the first two Tests, one name caught everyone by surprise. Despite not having enough first-class experience, all-rounder Hardik Pandya received his maiden Test call-up. The prime reason for his selection could be aimed towards providing Kohli with a second seam option without compromising on the batting depth.

After climbing up the echelons through the shortest format, Pandya made his ODI debut against New Zealand at Dharamsala and impressed by bowling at a considerable pace.

If India decides to go in with five bowlers, he could get an opportunity to prove his detractors wrong by contributing in both departments of the game.

#4 Jos Buttler

Buttler can offer an attacking option in the middle-order

Despite being a part of the England squad for the 2-Test series in Bangladesh, Jos Buttler was not able to break into the playing eleven. However, the performance of their middle-order on viciously turning pitches may force coach Trevor Bayliss to consider the 26-year old who has the ability to counter-attack against spin.

Whilst he has become a critical component of the limited-overs setup, the wicket-keeper batsman’s previous Test appearance came more than a year ago against Pakistan at Dubai.

Buttler could come into contention if the frontline batsmen struggle to negotiate the spin threat.

#3 Adil Rashid

England cannot afford to rely on their seamers to break partnerships

England have covered the entire range of spin spectrum by bringing as many as four options with them. Aside from the two off-spinners in Gareth Batty and Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid’s wrist-spin, as well as Zafar Ansari’s left-arm variety gives them plenty of choices. But, the more pertinent question surrounds the quality versus quantity debate.

As they themselves showed during their previous trip, the only way to defeat India in India is if their spinners out bowl those from the hosts. Even though Indian batsmen have traditionally dealt adequately with leg-spin and the current lot’s issues are only against finger-spin, Rashid can still play a massive part in this series due to his ability to pick wickets in a cluster.

#2 Wriddhiman Saha

Saha is becoming a vital cog in India’s Test fortunes

Among those in the Indian team who slip under the radar despite putting in admirable performances on numerous occasions, wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha's value cannot be simply discerned from statistics alone.

He may have only scored 684 runs from 18 matches at an average of 31.09 but invariably most of those runs were scored when his side needed them badly.

The soft-spoken 32-year old is currently one of the best in the business behind the stumps and his almost flawless glove work against the turning ball could augur well for India in a series which should be played on spin-friendly pitches.

#1 Mohammed Shami

Shami‘s ability to extract reverse swing could come in handy

After being sidelined by a knee injury for the better part of 2015, Mohammed Shami returned to whites during the Caribbean tour a few months back and made an instant impact by tearing through the West Indies top-order with a menacing spell.

The seamer continued his fine work for the remainder of the series as well as during the New Zealand Tests.

Shami’s prowess with the old ball was on display in the 2^nd Test at Eden Gardens when he ripped the Kiwi lower order apart. While all attention is likely to be hogged by the spin troika of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra, the pacer’s ability to generate substantial reverse-swing could help shift the momentum in India’s favour.