5 reasons why India will defeat England in the second Test at Lord's

Team India under Virat Kohli came very close to winning the first of the ongoing five match Test series, at Edgbaston this week. Unfortunately, with almost all batsmen failing to put up a decent score on the board, the excellent work by the Indian bowlers and skipper Virat Kohli was in vain.

However, there were a lot of positives to take from the first Test match--such as Kohli being at his usual best in the challenging conditions, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma's exploits with the ball as well as Hardik Pandya's gritty knock under pressure. The defeat at Edgbaston might not deter Team India who are all set to conquer the English at Lord's once again. Let us look at the key reasons why India might defeat England at Lord's--

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#5) Quite a few changes expected in the playing XI

We might as well expect quite a few changes in the Indian playing XI

The Indian bowlers deserve all the credit in the world for a brilliant display of bowling in both the innings during the opening game of the five match Test series, at Edgbaston. Having restricted the hosts to 287 (at one stage England were 216-3) after skipper Joe Root (80 off 156) and wicket keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow's (70 off 88) heroics, India had a very good chance of taking the first innings lead which they failed miserably in spite of Virat Kohli's splendid knock--149(225).

Every other batsman except skipper Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya (in the second innings) failed to get past even 30 runs in the match--a shocker, considering Team India's strong batting line-up.

Kohli's half century (51) and Pandya's valuable knock (31) were the only positives during India's chase of 194 runs in the fourth innings--of which they fell short by 31 runs. After a complete batting failure at Edgbaston, a few major changes can be expected in the playing XI for the second Test starting on August 9 at "The Home of Cricket" Lord's. A notable change might be the inclusion of Cheteshwar Pujara, who was left out of the playing XI in the first Test.

The Saurashtra batsman is expected to make a comeback to strengthen the beleaguered Indian middle order. With Jasprit Bumrah expected to be fit for the second Test, he will most likely make it to the XI instead of Umesh Yadav who did not have a good time with the ball at Edgbaston.

Also, young wicket keeper batsman Rishabh Pant might make his much-awaited Test debut at Lord's should the team management decide to include some fire power to the batting. Hence, fans can expect quite a few changes to the Indian XI for the second Test at Lord's.

#4) The absence of Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes will miss the upcoming Test match at Lord's

Well, you might wonder how the absence of one player might determine the fate of an entire Test match.

Regardless, that's just the way it is when it comes to the talented English all-rounder, Ben Stokes. From scoring 258 against the mighty Proteas at Cape Town to being one of the hottest properties in the IPL, Stokes has come a long way in his career. One of the best all rounders in all three formats of Cricket, Stokes has been more successful at Lord's than any other venue he has played at.

He averages 40.36 in six Test matches at Lord's scoring 444 runs which includes four half-centuries and a century (101). Stokes has taken 17 wickets at this venue with his best figures being 6/22.

Furthermore, the manner in which he tormented the Indian batting line-up in the first Test was absolutely sensational. He dispatched two key middle order batsmen--Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik in the first innings, before his exploits with the red cherry in the second innings (4/40), which included the prized wicket of Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

After Kohli's removal India's chances looked bleak, despite Hardik Pandya playing well at the other end. Stokes' trial in relation to the night-club incident that occurred in Bristol in September 2017 began today.

Since it's likely to last for five days, he is all set to miss the second Test as Chris Woakes has already been announced as his replacement. His absence will surely hinder England's chances at Lord's.

#3) England's vulnerable batting line-up

Alastair Cook hasn't been in good nick as of late

If one is to say that India was over-reliant on Virat Kohli in the first Test, then it'd only be fair to note that England's batting line-up certainly depended on Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow--the two in-form players.

Though the duo did not disappoint in the first innings with the scores of 80 and 70, they could not live up to the expectations in the second go-around of the match. Luckily for them, youngster Sam Curran steeped up in the second innings with a match-saving 63 off just 65.

With veteran Alastair Cook not at his very best as of now, Keaton Jennings not consistent and Jos Buttler failing, England's batting is not as strong as their bowling department.

Should the Indian bowlers once again manage to bowl them out, the onus will then be on the Indian batsmen to deliver the goods. With the Indian bowlers Ashwin, Ishant and Shami coming to party, it's likely to once again be tough for the English batsmen to do battle with them.

#2) The win at Lord's in 2014 and the positive frame of mind

Team India won at Lord's in 2014

The last time India played a Test match at Lord's, they defeated the hosts by by 95 runs--courtesy Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's heroics. It was a collective team effort that earned them a famous win at Lords' four years ago under the then-skipper, MS Dhoni.

A majority of the players who played that Test are in the squad for this series and might well be featured in the playing XI once again. Hence, with the memories of that success still fresh, they're likely to approach the second Test with a positive frame of mind--something that's absolutely essential to outclass the English in their own backyard.

#1) A highly determined Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli will be highly determined to win this Test after the Edgbaston loss

Winning has always been Virat Kohli's priority, no matter what the conditions and situations are. In fact, he once again proved that in the first Test when he almost single-handedly guided India to victory with the bat.

Kohli's sensational knocks of 149 and 51 under challenging conditions and against the high-quality attack comprising Anderson, Broad, Stokes and Curran showcased his temperament, grit and determination to guide India home.

Unfortunately, the skipper could not see his team through in spite of his valiant knocks as they lost a thrilling Test match which lasted just under four days. Hence, fans can expect Virat, who has made winning his habit, to overcome the disappointment of the Edgbaston loss and overshadow his counterpart Joe Root to guide India to a win at Lord's.