England vs India 2018: 3 players who will be under added pressure 

#1 Adil Rashid

There is no doubt regarding Rashid's limited overs credentials. But his First Class figures leave much to be desired. His bowling average is 35.07. In the 10 Tests that Rashid has played previously, his bowling average has been nearly 43.While Rashid's selection for the Tests was interesting, what has grabbed more attention is the furore that has erupted over it. Yorkshire have not taken kindly to it, given that he had turned his back on First Class cricket. Michael Vaughan and Geoff Boycott have not left anything unsaid and Rashid has fired back.

It is quite evident though that his selection has not been made on past red ball performances. He managed to outfox some batsmen, notably Kohli, in the ODI series and England selectors then placed their bets on him. The weather also played a factor as the English heatwave this summer had made the pitches seem drier than usual. But with recent rains, a normal pitch is being expected.

Whether Rashid will manage to pose some challenging deliveries to the Indians remains to be seen. But what is certain is that a bad match or two is going to strengthen the arguments of the naysayers.

#2 Cheteshwar Pujara

Yorkshire v Warwickshire - LV County Championship

2018 has been a poor year for him. While he does have a stellar Test career average of 50.34, he has scored only 135 runs from 7 innings this year, averaging 19.29. But what has been more worrying are his scores in County cricket. He managed only 172 runs from 12 innings, which translates to an average of 14.33.

Of course, these numbers must be put in context. India played 3 Tests this year in SA and barring Kohli, most batsmen struggled. Also, the First Class season in England did see some tough batting tracks. But seeing that India are playing 5 Tests here and 4 later this year in Australia, undoubtedly, Pujara needs to step up his game. He might risk being permanently labelled a star performer at home but mediocre outside (he averages 62.42 at home and 35.25 outside).

#3 Dawid Malan

England v Pakistan: 2nd Test - Day Two

Dawid Malan is a different case. Seen independently, he has not disappointed. He did make a gritty century in the Ashes and can always be relied on to stem a batting collapse. But the fact remains that in his career of 14 Tests, he has averaged 29. This year, he has made 191 runs from 9 innings; an average of 21.22.

James Vince had averaged 24.9 from his 13 Tests and was eventually dropped from the squad. Malan must be feeling the pressure.

But more than his statistics, what is relevant is that batsmen in County cricket have been knocking on the doors of the Test team. Ollie Pope, in particular, has been in tremendous form. He is only 20 and has played 15 First Class matches already, in which he averages a stellar 63.25. Another candidate is 22 year-old Joe Clarke. His FC average is 41.9 after 55 FC matches. Also, these two have youth on their side and the selectors might decide to blood them this series. Of course, that rests on how Malan performs.