3 players who need to be fast-tracked into the Indian squad

The second test at Lord's threw up more questions than answers for the Indian team. After a soul-crushing defeat at Edgbaston, they plummeted to new depths in London. With the Indian batting not as bright as the English summer, India need to change something in order to redeem themselves.

Apart from Virat Kohli, none of the Indian batsmen have crossed the 35-run mark across four innings, with Ashwin’s 33 in the second innings at Lords being the best score among them. Kohli and the team management have reiterated that it is the mental aspect of batting which is pulling the team down, rather than technical flaws.

Whatever the case may be, the batting line-up needs to iron out its flaws sooner rather than later. With India 2-0 down, time is running out, and if they are unable to get their act together, they could be staring at another humiliating defeat.

However, if it is a simple case of the current batsmen batting with ‘baggage’, India need to take a tough call and bring in ‘characters’ who are desperate for their time in the sun.

Through this article, we would look at 3 such players who should be fast-tracked into the Indian team and help them put up more of a fight against the English team.

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1. Prithvi Shaw

Shaw on his way to a masterful 62

Prithvi Shaw is a young batsman from Mumbai who has captured the imagination of every ardent cricket watcher in India. Shaw was the captain of the Indian U-19 team which won the World Cup at the start of the year.

Since then, he has enjoyed a stellar run with the bat and taken his game to the next level under the watchful eyes of Rahul Dravid. Shaw averages 60.78 in First Class cricket with a highest score of 188. He has a good conversion rate as well. Of the 12 times he has crossed 50, he has reached the three-figure mark on 7 occasions.

However, the most exciting aspect of his rise has been his ability to score runs in different environments, including England. When India A toured the United Kingdom, he smashed a blistering 188 off 169 balls against West Indies A. The fact that this innings came when he was on a pair made it better.

In addition to this, he scored a breathtaking hundred against South Africa A in the ongoing series.

Though Shaw has a few technical fallacies, he has found a way to make runs. The current crop of Indian openers can’t seem to buy a run at the moment. Thus, Shaw, a batsman without fear, a batsman without the baggage of failure in England, should be drafted in.

With him in red-hot form, he could prove to be the breath of fresh air to a stale-looking batting line-up. Indians would hope that he carries his First Class form into Test cricket and make a name for himself, like so many Mumbaikars before him.

2. Mayank Agarwal

Mayank is one of the most in-form batsmen going around

Mayank Agarwal scored tons of runs for Karnataka in the 2017-18 domestic season. In the process, he accumulated the highest aggregate of runs in a single domestic season.

Mayank topped the Ranji Trophy run-scoring charts as well, with him scoring 1160 runs in 13 innings at an average of 105.45. His highest score was a blazing 304* against Maharashtra at Pune.

When India A toured England, he came up with the goods, forming a beautiful opening pair with Prithvi Shaw. In the ongoing series against South Africa A, he already has a superlative double ton to his name.

Mayank is a fearless batsmen and plays his shots to put the opposition under pressure. A way of tackling England's bowling is to attack them and not let them settle into a rhythm. With Mayank at the top of the order, India can look to implement the strategy of fighting fire with fire.

At this juncture, Mayank is one of the most in-form batsmen in the country. With India’s top order failing miserably, Mayank needs to be given his chance to shine. The Indian team surely can’t perform at a level lower than Lord's. Hence, it is time to forego reputation, and play the in-form batsman over the reputed batsman.

3. Hanuma Vihari

Vihari has been consistent for India A

Hanuma Vihari is a middle-order batsman who plays for Andhra Pradesh in the Indian domestic circuit. He was a solid presence in their middle order and scored 752 runs in 10 innings, at an average of 94 in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy.

Vihari has a knack of playing long innings and he scored a 150 and a triple hundred in the first few games of the Ranji season. He has been ever-present in the India A side and has proved his worth on more than a couple of occasions.

In the 2nd Test against West Indies A, he scored a crucial 68 to help India A achieve a target 321 in the fourth innings at Taunton. In the current series against South Africa, Vihari came up with a defining knock of 148 with the team in trouble. Throughout his career, Vihari has shown a penchant for coming up with extraordinary performances when the chips are down.

Having ticked the mental toughness box, Vihari also boasts of a solid technique, which would hold him in good stead in England.

With age and form on his side, Vihari can become India’s long term option in the middle order. Rahane hasn’t covered himself in glory in the last few Tests and looks a man bereft of confidence.

Hence, the most viable option for the Indian selectors would be to give Vihari his due and let him have a well-deserved crack at international cricket.