England vs India 2018: Plenty of question marks over the place of Dinesh Karthik and Shikhar Dhawan in the Indian team

In the first Test, Virat Kohli showed us all that you can beat your past demons by just being there in the middle and soaking up the pressure. I seriously believe this is just the start and Kohli in this series will go past Alastair Cook's record-breaking 766 runs in the 2010-11 Ashes.

But it is not just Kohli we are talking about here; we are talking about a team sport.

Every team these days wants a wicket-keeper who can score runs. In English conditions there is no place to hide, as the Dukes ball tends to wobble around. You need someone who has safe hands behind the stumps and who watches the ball till the end and takes it late.

Dinesh Karthik is a pure batsman these days and he is not India's first choice keeper, which was clear in the first Test. He failed horribly as a keeper in the match; when he dived to get the ball, the ball hit his wrist more often than the gloves.

I believe it is the lack of preparation rather than the technique that let him down, and he will have his work cut out in the upcoming matches. In his current form he isn't adding a lot of value to the side, and it may be time to give Rishabh Pant a chance.

Let’s now talk about the team combination.

The 1996 English tour saw a young man from India batting at No. 3, driving the swinging ball through the covers with ease and scoring runs at will. A few years later he had been pushed back to No. 5, or maybe it's better to say he pushed himself back. Yes, I am talking about the one of India's greatest ever captains, Sourav Ganguly.

Ganguly was a swashbuckling opening batsman in ODIs, but he was almost as good in the middle order in whites - almost like Adam Gilchrist. That's probably the example that Kohli should look at while deciding the team combination for the second Test.

I believe India need not change the entire team but just make a few changes in the batting order. That could also do wonders when you think of the upcoming overseas tours.

Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay are the two best players of spin in India at the moment because they play the sweep shot better than many. Vijay will definitely open for me, as he leaves the ball well - which is what Test cricket is all about.

Dhawan can bat at No. 5, which would ease him from thinking about whether he should leave the ball pitching outside off. He may well turn out to be a great asset in the middle order for India, just the way Ganguly used to be.

Ajinkya Rahane has lately struggled with his temperament and is insecure of his place in the Indian side. He has played in the top three positions for Mumbai and is a good option for No. 3, which will disarm him from the pressure of scoring runs.

Moreover, he would also know that the team's best player - Kohli - comes next at No. 4. That's got to be a comforting thought.

My Playing 11 for the second Test: Murali Vijay and KL Rahul to open, Rahane at No. 3 followed by Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan at No. 5. Dinesh Karthik would still be my keeper and Hardik Pandya will play as my all-rounder. Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah (if fit) will be my bowlers.