England vs India, 2018: 5 Indian players who might not feature in 1st Test

In nearly two days of time, another enthralling contest between the two of crickets top sides will get underway. The test series between England and India will begin on the first of August from the picturesque Edgbaston in Birmingham.

With India having acquired the T20I series and England the ODI series, the Test series between India and England will turn out to be the decisive agent in examining the overall upshot of the tour.

The Englishmen will begin the test series with a lot of confidence, given their ODI series win against India. On the other hand, India have their fair share of dilemmas right now: Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara's form, the fitness of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, and the quandary of choosing the spinners. Having said that, team selection will be the key for the Indian team in the first test against England.

Thus, in this article, we will look at five Indian players who might be benched in the first test against England.

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#1 Karun Nair

A cogent stroke-maker who bases a lot on touch play than sheer power, Karun Nair is one of the many aspiring cricketers who equates with a sense of class. For the past two years, Karun has been in the minds of Indian management, which who see him as a future batting vista.

Having put up some respectable performances in the domestic circuit, Karun made a comeback to the Test squad with the Afghanistan Ttst and momentarily he was drafted in the test squad for England too.

Although Nair calls for a decent choice, he might not find a place in the playing XI for the first test because of the tempting options that the Indian team hold in their batting line-up. Thus, with Pujara, Rahane, and Karthik in the contest, Virat Kohli might not opt for Karun Nair in the middle order.

#2 Shardul Thakur

England Lions v India A - Tri-Series International

Not many Indian bowlers have caught the eye of MS Dhoni as much as Shardul Thakur has. Having instilled faith in Shardul, Indian management has left out themselves a good crop in Shardul, who not only proves to be a decent backup bowler, but also a genuine future bowling prospect for India. Owing to his decent performances in recent past, Thakur earned his first test call-up for India.

Nonetheless, with Ishant Shamma, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav in the fast bowling department, it is profoundly dubious that Shardul will find a place in the playing XI for the first Test against England. Predominantly, Shardul's chances seem almost close to none unless any one of the three, Ishant, Shami, and Umesh, pick up an injury.

#3 Rishabh Pant

England Lions v India A - Day Three

Admittedly, Rishabh Pant has got the least number of chances to make it big at the international level. However, each time, he fought hard to attain a better place in the books of selectors. Eventually, his recent performances for the India A side merited Pant his first call-up for the tests.

Despite displaying some good brand of cricket, Pant is not expected to find himself a spot in the playing for the first test against England. With an adequate amount of experience on his side, Dinesh Karthik is most likely to hold a place in the playing XI ahead of Pant.

#4 Shikhar Dhawan

England & India Net Sessions

A typical charging left-handed opener, Shikhar Dhawan has been one of the mainstays of the Indian team across all the formats for past five years. However, for past two months, his game has gone downhill in test cricket as he has failed to build up innings in the overseas conditions, due to his inability to tackle the moving ball.

With Murali Vijay almost fixed in the opening slot, KL Rahul might get the nod ahead of Dhawan in the first Test against England. In addition to that, Dhawan also failed to perform in the practice match against Essex where he was dismissed for a duck in both the innings. Therefore, India may opt for Rahul against Dhawan in the upcoming test.

#5 Kuldeep Yadav

England & India Net Sessions

The rise of Kuldeep Yadav on the global level is far away from being secret. Kuldeep’s customary guile and equally idiosyncratic technique have reaped stunning results for the Indian team in recent past. Thus, Kuldeep's inclusion in the test squad didn't come as a surprise, predominantly, because he earned the call-up.

However, Kuldeep's incorporation in the playing XI for the first test remains an enigma for many. Although Kuldeep seems to be a fair enough choice for the first test, India might persist with Ravi Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja as their customary spinner. With Ashwin or Jadeja, India will fuse a more than an able batting option that could provide strength to the Indian tail lacking Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Besides, with rain finally failing in some parts of England, especially Birmingham, the conditions might alter the Indian team's tactics of using Kuldeep Yadav. Nevertheless, the rain might turn out to deny Kuldeep Yadav the opportunity in the test side.

Therefore, much like how India left out Kuldeep in the 3rd T20I against England in Bristol, India might bench Kuldeep for the first test based upon the pitch that Edgbaston may produce in the first test.