England vs India, 2018: Best combined Test XI of the series so far

The England-India Test series has been a hell of an encounter so far. After losing the first Test by a whisker, India had to suffer an innings defeat in the second Test. However, it was not the end of the road for India, as they fought back with grit and determination to come back strongly in the series. India's win in the third Test opened up a lot of positives for them to look forward to for the remainder of the series.

Having completed three Tests in the series so far, we have had some great performances in this series from both the sides. Thus, let us churn out the best combined XI of the series so far.

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Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul

Shikhar Dhawan strike a good balance in the 3rd Test

The most under-performing unit for both India and England at this tour has been the opening department. All the five openers, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Alistair Cook, Keaton Jennings, and Murali Vijay, has had their fair share of problems. Thus, selecting openers remains the most arduous job.

Although Cook and Jennings have bestowed good starts to England, it has been the Dhawan-Rahul pair that has been quite good for India in the conditions that were tailor-made for the Englishmen. Therefore, unquestionably, the Shikhar-KL pair has come out as the premier one as compared to the Englishmen.

Dhawan commenced the series on a dismal note with a poor performance in the first test. Consequently, Dhawan got the axing for Lord's Test. Nevertheless, Vijay's sorry performances marked Dhawan's comeback to the playing XI for the third Test. Eventually, tallying 79 runs in the third Test, Dhawan did a satisfactory job for India.

Meanwhile, with some supporting performances, KL has also done a fair job. Although Rahul has made some discrepancies in the series, he hasn't been short on intent and confidence. Because of this, Dhawan-Rahul forms a formidable opening combination for this combined XI.

Middle Order: Joe Root (C), Virat Kohli, and Jos Buttler

The two stalwarts of the game

At No.3, Joe Root adorns this batting order. So far, Root has been phenomenal in this series, notably as a captain. With an ability to turn the game on his side, Root boasts to be lethal batsman at this spot. Moreover, he has been in decent form in the recent past. Hence, it remains a matter of formality to include Root in the list.

Well, we have certainly run out of words to define Kohli's exploits in this series. Having scored 440 runs, two gritty fifties, and two exuberant centuries, Virat has been by far the best batsman in this series. His 97 in the 1st innings and 103 in the 2nd innings of the third Test helped India to register their first ever win of this series. No questions asked, Virat has to be the first name in this list.

Jos Buttler didn't have the greatest of the series until he came out blazing in the third Test. Right from being the last man standing for England in the 1st innings to scoring an aggressive hundred in the 2nd innings, Buttler had a decent third Test. Thus, with an ability to rake up runs in quick successions, Buttler happens to be a fair choice in the middle-order. Hence, his place in the combined XI.

Wicket-keeper: Jonny Bairstow

Bairstow has been the best in the business for quite a long time now

Jonny Bairstow has been doing a good job for the Englishmen at the No.5 spot in the longest format of the game. With minimal doubts, Bairstow has been the best in the trade for past few years. Having scored a significant amount of runs for England, Jonny has been Englishmen's first choice wicket-keeper.

Besides, Bairstow has been the highest run-scorer for England in this series so far. Barring the third Test where he sustained a finger injury, Jonny had a decent outing in the first and the second Test. Bairstow auto-selects himself in the playing XI as a specialist wicket-keeper batsman.

All-rounders: Ben Stokes and Hardik Pandya

Hardik's fiery spell in the 3rd Test shut down many critics

Ben Stokes has had a decent series so far with both bat as well as ball. Stokes has set himself in the list of one of the best red ball all-rounders in the world at the moment. Thus, with some vital contributions in this series, Stokes has proved to be an important member in the Englishmen's playing XI. He happens to be too good a player to be not included in this combined XI.

Hardik Pandya proved his worth as a genuine all-rounder in the third Test at Trent Bridge with his five-wicket haul in the 1st innings that helped India to attain a colossal lead over England. It was Pandya's maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Considering his current form with both bat as well as ball, it would be too hard on Pandya to not include him in this combined XI.

Pace Bowlers: Stuart Broad, James Anderson, and Ishant Sharma

Anderson not too far from McGrath's tally of Test wickets

Stuart Broad and James Anderson have formed one of the best bowling pairs for England in the context of Test cricket. With quality swing bowling, Broad and Anderson have created wonders for England in the longer formats of the game.

Anderson has been in sublime form in this series. With 17 wickets up his sleeve, Anderson is the highest wicket-taker in the series so far. On the other hand, with ten wickets to his name, Broad has wonderfully complemented Anderson in this series which has kept the Indian batsmen on their toes. Broad and Anderson's place in the combined XI needs no vindication.

One man who has impressed the most at this tour is Ishant Sharma. Sharma has made the ball move as if it were a cakewalk for him. With unerring lines and decent levels of accuracy, the Indian paceman has come out as the premier bowler for India in this series. Moreover, with 11 wickets, Ishant has been the second highest wicket-taker in this series. Hence, his place in this combined XI.