4 questions India need to address ahead of the Test series against England

The highly anticipated five-match Test series between England and India kicks off on 1st of August at Edgbaston in Birmingham. With India claiming the T20I series and England bossing the ODIs, the upcoming Test series, in a way, is a tie-breaker. The winner takes everything and the loser, pretty much like in life, looks for the positives.

While India currently top the ICC Test ranking, England sit in 5th position, but these rankings are of little significance as it’s what you do on the field that matters. That said, England will have a slight edge over India, given the home conditions. The visitors, though, will look to bury the ghosts of 2014 and prove why they are touted as the best side when it comes to the longer-form of the game.

However, there are certain questions that Virat Kohli and the Indian think-tank need to address ahead of the Test series. Let’s have a look what those are.

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#1 Should Pujara play after a poor run of form in red-ball cricket?

Does Pujara deserve a place in the Indian team?

Home or away, Cheteshwar Pujara has been India’s go to man at no. 3 in Test matches since Rahul Dravid’s retirement. But it doesn't look all honky-dory for the Saurashtra batsman going into this series. He had a forgettable tour of South Africa earlier this year and his recent county stint was, well, horrendous to say the least.

While Pujara could manage only 100 runs from six innings in the rainbow nation, his county tally read 172 runs in 12 innings with a highest score of 41. A paltry 24 runs from two innings in the recently concluded warm-up game against Essex didn’t help his cause either.

That said, all this could just be a bad-patch and he could well use this series as a springboard and come out with flying colours at the end of it, but tell that to the Indian captain Virat Kohli, who time and again, has insisted on current form being one of the key metrics for selection in the playing XI.

One factor which works in Pujara’s favour, though, is his experience of playing red-ball cricket in England, and given a chance, he could use that to good effect.

So, it will be interesting to see whether Kohli goes for experience over recent form or stick to his earlier idea that made him pick Rohit Sharma ahead of Ajinkya Rahane in South Africa.

#2 Should India play two spinners? And if so, will Kuldeep get the nod?

The mystry factor in Kuldeep's bowling might get him a place in India's XI at Edgbaston

One of the underlying reasons why India has had a lot of success in the longer format of the game has been its spin department. The quintessential duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have always delivered but a part their success should perhaps be attributed to the conditions.

It’s one thing to run through batting line-ups in favourable subcontinent pitches; it’s quite another to replicate the same in English conditions. However, they might just be on the money here, considering the heat wave that has engulfed some parts of England recently. Even then, does it make sense to play two spinners? Well, if the pitch is dry and hard enough, it does.

It’s a no-brainer that if India opts for a lone spinner, it will be Ashwin. But the question will be who the second spinner is, if one is picked.

Who will it be? The regular, Ravi Jadeja or the new boy on the block, Kuldeep Yadav? This is where the shrewdness of the Indian think-tank will be tested and how well Kohli plays his cards on the field might as well decide as to which way the tide will turn.

#3 How big a blow is Bhuvi’s unavailability?

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is out for the firat three tests due to injury

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has been India’s mainstay in fast-bowling department across formats for quite a while now. If not for injury he would have easily made the playing XI at Edgbaston and taken the new-ball without a doubt.

Given his ability to move the ball both ways, he could have been a major weapon in captain Virat Kohli’s armory and more so because of the conditions.

The lanky paceman was one of the stand out performers during India’s last tour to England in 2014. He featured in all the five tests and picked up 19 wickets, more than any Indian bowler in the series.

So yes, it’s a big blow to not have him in the team but the good news is that Umesh Yadav seems to have found his rhythm (what we saw in the warm-up game) and Ishant Sharma is coming off an impressive showing for Sussex. However, it’s fair to say they need to raise their game to make sure India don’t miss Bhuvi that much.

#4 How important will be Hardik Pandya in the team?

Should Hardik Pandya make the playing XI against England at Edgbaston?

The reason Hardik Pandya is in the squad is because he can contribute both with the ball and the bat. In subcontinent conditions where pitches are batsmen friendly, Pandya’s role as a 5th bowler who can give the strike bowlers time to recuperate, is crucial and he can chip in with a few runs down the order as well.

But on bowler-friendly pitches, Pandya’s batting flaws will be easily found-out and hence his selection will be down to how useful he can be with the ball. Unless he can produce that odd wicket, it’s fair to say, he will be a liability in these conditions and therefore, India should consider going in with an extra batsman instead.

However, the all-rounder has the trust of captain Kohli which is why he featured in all the three test matches in South Africa, and it’s highly likely that he makes the playing XI this time as well.