After having wrapped up the series in Mumbai, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team would go into the final match of the series brimming with confidence.
The England side, on the other hand, is a deflated unit and after a long series finds itself on the mat. However, if they manage to put up a fight and show some mettle, it would make for an intriguing final Test match in Chennai.
The Test itself is being played after the mayhem caused by cyclone Vardah in the state and thus the game assumes all the more importance.
The Indian team is a fairly settled unit, and the players pick themselves after having put up a decent show in the previous match.
#1 Murali Vijay
The stylish opener silenced all his doubters by slamming a century in the Mumbai Test and repaid all the faith of the team management.
Vijay had few troubles with short-pitched bowling in the 2nd and 3rd match, but he came back strongly in the first innings of the Mumbai Test when he combined with captain Virat Kohli and batted England out of the Test match with a brilliant 136.
He should be a man full of confidence when he strides out to bat on his home turf.
#2 KL Rahul
Rahul has been a curious case so far in his short career. He has moments of brilliance, then gets injured, comes back to sparkle again but then loses his concentration to get dismissed.
Even in Mumbai, the Karnataka boy looked in fine nick and played few pleasing strokes and appeared to be in the zone but then played one loose stroke and was sent packing by Moeen Ali.
However, Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble have faith in the young man and if he decides to put his head down and get runs, a big innings should be round the corner.
#3 Cheteshwar Pujara
India's number 3 is having a bumper season so far and is churning out runs for fun. He missed out in the previous Test match and would be motivated to make it count in the final Test this year.
His new found positive tempo is suiting him and the team perfectly and thus he has become an integral part of the batting order. The ability to soak up the pressure and see off the shine of the new ball holds the middle order in great shape.
He also has the ability to put away bad deliveries away and can also take the game to the spinners. All this makes him a glue in the top order and a batsman whose game has peaked at the right time.
#4 Virat Kohli
India's Test captain would want to carry this year in his pocket if he can. The flamboyant batsman has ruled all forms of the game and there is no denying the fact that this series has established himself as one of the top players in the longer format as well.
He has proven to be a perennial thorn in the flesh of the England team and the bowlers have had no answers to his many questions thus far. His ability to arrest the momentum away from the opposition in a very unassuming manner has stood out in this series, and the hunger for runs in unsaturated.
The run machine that he has become would love to finish this year on a high, and this does not augur well for the visitors.
#5 Karun Nair
The young man from Karnataka came into the team after the injury to Ajinkya Rahane but has not been able to justify his potential so far.
Nair, who is a prolific scorer in the Domestic circuit should back his game and play with an uncluttered mind in order to contribute more runs. He has the game and possesses a solid technique, thus it all boils down to his temperament.
He bats a crucial position and thus has to concentrate more and look to play more balls at the beginning of the innings and then trust his instincts as he gets into his groove.
#6 Parthiv Patel
The diminutive wicket-keeper batsman has been a welcome addition to the squad. His counter-attacking batting prowess makes him a perfect fit at number 6.
His keeping is not entirely convincing, but then it has been hard to be a wicket-keeper on surfaces with inconsistent bounce and carry. However, Parthiv will know that he has to be more consistent behind the stumps if he harbours any hope of retaining his place once Wriddhiman Saha is fit.
This Test could be that opportunity for him and he should look to make it big both with the bat and gloves.
#7 Ravichandran Ashwin
There are few things which are beyond the grasp of Ravichandran Ashwin currently. The number 1 spinner in the world has already achieved dizzying heights in his career so far, but the man seems to be on a mission.
He has already picked up 24 five-wicket hauls in 43 matches and is like a machine which keeps churning out one match-winning performance after another.
Apart from this, he has been more than handy with the bat and has played many innings of substance in the series. He has scored 239 runs in 6 innings which includes 3 half-centuries.
Now he returns to where it all began and would love to put up a sterling display in front of his adoring home fans.
#8 Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja and Ashwin prove that bowlers hunt in pairs. The left-armer is as frugal as one can get in Test matches and he keeps hitting the right areas which then allows Ashwin to attack from the other end.
However, if the pitch offers assistance, Jadeja becomes a handful and has the potential to win matches all on his own.
This series has also given us a glimpse of Jadeja, the batsman, who is more than capable of playing innings of substance. He also has all the strokes in the book and if he manages to play within himself, he can become a match-winning all-rounder.
#9 Jayant Yadav
Young Jayant Yadav has shown tremendous promise and potential so far in the series. With the ball, he chips in with vital wickets and with the bat he has the ability to hold one end up with gusto.
He is no genuine number 9 who comes out to slog. On the contrary, he looks very much a top order batsman who gets in behind the line of the ball when defending and leaning into the strokes when attacking.
The Haryana-boy has put a price on his wicket every time he has walked out to bat. With the ball, he keeps it very tight and time and again picks up vital wickets.
A certain find of the season!
#10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The right-arm swing bowler did not have an entirely good game in Mumbai where he replaced an injured Mohammed Shami. However, he gave glimpses of his ability in the second innings, and thus a much better performance is expected of him in Chennai.
#11 Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav has emerged as a complete article this season. There were no doubts over his ability and this season has shown that if he has confidence he can be a handful even in the sub-continent.
Umesh has impressed one and all with his pace and skiddy nature and has more often than not produced wicket-taking deliveries with the new ball.
Also, he has the ability to generate reverse swing with the old ball and has come back later in the day to trouble batsmen with his pace and movement.
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