England vs India 2014: Five Indian players unlucky to have not made the Test squad

India will begin theirEnglish sojourn soon and MSDhoniwith his18 men squad will bid to exorcise the ghosts of 2011. But then there were players who deserved to be in the squad due to their good performances over recent years but didnt make the squad.Here we present to you five such players who could have made the cut but were unlucky not to:

#5 Ambati Rayudu

He may not have impressed in the three match ODI series in Bangaldesh but he has the experience of playing at the international level. He has captained the U-19 Indian team and he has the mindset and the technique which makes him a batsman to watch.

Not only that, Rayudu also has been good for Mumbai Indians, and also has a good record to show in first class cricket as well.

#4 KL Rahul

He was impressive during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad and showed lot of maturity for his age. He even has an impressive resume to show when it comes to first-class cricket, being the most prolific batsman for Karnataka in their treble winning season.

With a total of 1633 runs, 4 centuries and 7 half centuries in 23 matches in first-class cricket, his record shows that how important Rahul has been for Karnataka despite being a youngster. The fact that he is also an opener and a part-time wicketkeeper made his case strong.

#3 Kedhar Jadhav

He should have been in the squad not for his exploits in the just concluded IPL tournament, but also for his performance in the Ranji Trophy tournament.

Jadhav who emerged as the highest run-getter last season scoring 1223 runs with six centuries showed that he is not just a flash in the pan. He has the maturity and a cool head to play a patient innings and should have been on the flight to England.

#2 Pragyan Ojha

Pragyan Ojha is a proven performer and his partnership with R Ashwin has helped India win many games in the past. With 113 wickets and 7 five wickets in 24 Tests, Ojha is tailormade to play the format.

With English batsman susceptible to left arm spin bowling, Ojha should have been in the team. But with Jadeja having taken his spot and India probably not going more than 2 spinners it would have been difficult for him to feature in the playing XI. But what strengthens his case for his selection is his good resume and also the fact that India are travelling to Europe with only two spinners and an injury or dip in form of any one of the tweakers, Ojha would have been an easy choice next up.

#1 Umesh Yadav

If there is one bowler who should have made it to the squad then it is Umesh Yadav.

Not only can Yadav bowl quick, he also can initially move the ball both ways and with an effective bouncer in his arsenal, Yadav could have certainly troubled the English batsman where the conditions would have helped Yadav a great deal.

Of course he tends to stray down the line and becomes predictable, but he is the kind of bowler who would only get better. Varun Aaron who has been selected cannot be termed as a bad selection for he can bowl fast as well but he is more injury prone as compared to Yadav.

What also is surprising that Pankaj Singh was selected above Yadav.

Yadav should have been selected on account of him bowling in tandem with Mohammed Shami and able to get some quick wickets which is very important from India’s point of view.