England vs India 2018: 5 key players for England in the Test series

After a disappointing start to their summer, which saw a 2-1 T20I series defeat against India, England are back on track with a commendable ODI series victory over Virat Kohli's men. After receiving a thumping from the visitors in the first game, they did not provide a moment for the Indian fans to cheer about in the next couple of matches.

It stands even-steven now, and we have a 5-match Test series coming up as a tie-breaker. BCCI has already announced the Indian squad, which has a fair balance of experience and exuberance, while England's squad is not announced yet. They have quite a few players of the supreme class who can be a headache to India. Let us have a look at 5 key English players for the upcoming Test series:

#5 Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow had a superb series against New Zealand

In Wriddhiman Saha's absence, BCCI has selected Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant as the wicket-keepers for the tour. It will be interesting to see whether they both play or not, but England will most probably go with two keepers in Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler, as they have been doing in Tests recently.

Bairstow had a great Test series against New Zealand earlier this year, in which he scored 163 runs at an average of over 40. His form took a dip in the Test series against Pakistan but has found his rhythm back in the ODI series against India. He scored 106 runs in the 3 ODIs at an average of over 35 and a strike rate of over 130, and Bairstow regaining his form can be a worry for the Indians.

#4 James Anderson

In his late 35, Jimmy Anderson is in the form of his life

The millennials grew up in a generation where many English pacers were making it big, but James Anderson is the one who has still got it. In his late 35, the 'youngster' is looking as fresh as ever and can run riots in the Indian batting line up.

In the series against New Zealand, Anderson picked up 8 wickets by conceding just 200 runs. Those amazing figures were outdone by Jimmy's performance against Pakistan where ho victimized 9 batters by conceding 179 runs. Needless to say, the man who will be turning 36 next week will be England's pace spearhead.

#3 Adil Rashid

Rashid is coming off a fruitful ODI series

Adil Rashid is an interesting pick, and he might as well become England's hidden trump card. The leggie was not a part of England's last two Test teams but is on the verge of getting the white jersey back, owing to his amazing performances in the recently concluded ODI series against India.

In 3 games, Rashid bagged 6 wickets at an economy rate of under 5 runs per over, which made him England's most successful bowler in the series. It has not only earned him praises from head coach Trevor Bayliss, but Bayliss has also hinted about his inclusion in the team. If Rashid gets a place in the team, he can have a similar effect like he did in the ODIs.

#2 Joe Root

Root v Kohli will be a mouth-watering battle

No surprises about this one. Joe Root is undoubtedly going to be England's backbone of batting and his personal battle against his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli will be the one to keep an eye on. He has won the battle over Kohli in both T20I and ODI series with slim margins of 2 runs and 25 runs respectively.

Root's recent form in Tests has been impressive. Against New Zealand, he amassed 142 runs in 2 matches, whereas he managed to get 117 runs for his team against Pakistan in 3 innings. Judging by the red-hot form the leading scorer of the ODI series is in, it will be fair to say Root might be the 'root' cause behind India's worries.

#1 Jos Buttler

Buttler was the leading run scorer in the series against Pakistan

Jos Buttler was initially seen as an extraordinary limited overs talent by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). However, he was later inducted into the Test side and there has been no looking back ever since. In the Test series against Pakistan, Buttler scored 161 runs at an average of over 80.

Much like Root, Buttler is in a good run of form. Buttler bats down the order for England, and alongside his wicket-keeping compatriot Jonny Bairstow, he can provide stability to the innings even if Root & Co.'s top-order is struck by an early earthquake.