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

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.