5 things India need to do to clinch the Test series 3-2

India made a miraculous comeback against England, winning the third Test by 203 runs. The series is nicely poised with two Tests to go and anything is possible after India fought back in the third Test.

The stakes have changed drastically after the third Test, and it seems Virat Kohli and Co. have the upper hand even though they are trailing by 2-1. After the last Test, the England batting line-up has been exposed more than the Indian batting, and have struggled against both spin and pace. To make it worse, English slip fielders have looked more vulnerable than ever.

India have the golden opportunity to win the series with all the players looking in great touch. Let us find out what India needs to do in order to win the series.

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#5 No significant changes in the team selection

Ashwin might be replaced if he does not get recover in time

Under Virat Kohli's leadership, the culture of the Indian team has changed significantly. The Yo-Yo Test has become a mandatory criterion to get selected into the squad. Another policy that is being adopted is the 'horses for courses' where the players get dropped if they perform badly for 2-3 matches.

In 38 Tests as a captain, Virat has made changes in every Test due to injury or lack of form. This policy at times has been successful for the team, but also hampered the winning team combination.

In the South Africa Test series, when Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvenshwar Kumar were dropped for the second Test, it proved costly, while the same thing happened on the England tour when Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped from the first Test.

After winning the third Test against England, the Indian team has finally found the right combination. If India are to win this series, then the constant chopping of the playing XI needs to stop, and they need to back the players who are struggling with form.

#4 Openers need to provide decent starts

Dhawan and Rahul will look to score more in the remaining Tests

One of the big reasons why India won the third Test is because of their solid batting performance. Especially Shikhar Dhawan and Lokesh Rahul did an excellent job as they provided the team the much-needed start and built a partnership of 60 runs in both the innings.

As a result of the solid foundation laid by the openers, the middle order batsmen looked at ease and plundered the runs in each of the innings. The bowlers also performed well and won the match.

In the context of the series, it is important that the top order batsmen provide crucial starts consistently. The fate of the series largely depends on how these top two batsmen bat.

#3 Need to tighten up more in the slip cordon

India will be relived after the performance of slip catchers in the third Test

Indian slip catching has been a big concern not just in the context of the series, but it has been an issue for a very long time. India’s slip catching conversion since 2015 is second from bottom in the list of all Test teams.

In this series, the number one Test team had lost the first Test due to crucial drops in the slip cordon, which included the catch of Sum Curran, who went on to score fifty in the second innings. However, the slip fielding looked completely different in the Trent Bridge Test, where they took each catch easily including the difficult ones.

KL Rahul was the star performer with seven catches to his name. The slip fielding looks quite settled with Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan in the ranks. India will have to tighten up the slip cordon if they have to stay competitive in the series.

#2 Require more consistency from the middle order

Along with Kohli, Rahane and Pujara need to score runs in the middle order

India has shown fighting spirits in both the South Africa and England tour, but the batsmen failed to score the runs consistently. Except for Virat Kohli, none of the batsmen had shown the hunger to score runs.

As a result, India have lost a few close Tests which they could have won easily if the middle order batsmen would have shown more grit. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were the biggest disappointments until now.

The middle order finally made vital contributions with Rahane and Pujara both scoring half-centuries and gave the team a strong foundation to win the Test.

India will hope that they can continue to contribute and score runs heavily to win the series.

#1 Hardik's contribution as an all-rounder

Hardik after picking up his first five-wicket haul

After the retirement of Kapil Dev, India's search for an all-rounder has been there for eternity and never found one. Hardik Pandya was selected in the Test team with high hopes that he could be the genuine all-rounder which the Indian team was looking for, especially considering the overseas conditions.

Pandya had shown glimpses of his skills but had failed to score runs consistently or take wickets at regular intervals. Many experts criticised him for his mediocre performance. However, Pandya was not hindered by any criticism, picking up a five-wicket haul and also scored a quick-fire fifty in the third Test which they ultimately won.

The rejuvenation of Pandya as an all-rounder was not only a big factor in this Test, but it provided a big boost ahead of the remaining Tests. His match-winning performance can help the Indian team in winning the series.