England vs India 2018: Best possible Indian Playing XI at Edgbaston

We are a couple of weeks away from witnessing one of the most awaited test series of the season. With India taking on England in their own backyard, this series tends to be a promising one. India, based on recent results have arguably been the best test side in the world in the last year.

However, they know that all those victories at home would count for very less if they are not able to prove themselves and put up a fight in England. On the other hand, England has been very solid with their performances at home.

They have a perfect balance of some very conventional test cricketers with the likes of Alastair Cook and James Anderson but at the same time in Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, they have players who can change the cause of the match in a sessions play alone.

The Indian Team Management would very well know that they have to be spot on with their team's lineup before the first test match gets underway on the 1st of August. Heres looking at the best possible playing XI that should be taking the field for India at Birmingham.

---

Openers

They could give India the perfect start

The Indian contingent will have a good headache picking up its two openers for the first test. The India team has a problem of plenty as far as the openers are concerned, However, they would not mind it as it shows the depth and strength in his Indian side. The two batsman who would probably start proceeding for India would be:

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan since his comeback to the Indian side in Sri Lanka last year has been in fine touch. Be it limited overs cricket or test cricket, Shikhar has been churning out plenty of runs for India at a very quick rate too.

Even though, it may be argued that Dhawan is not the most technically equipped batsman in English conditions.

But knowing his abilities and potential dominance he can have on a cricket game if the southpaw is given the freedom to come out and play his natural game then India could be sure of getting some quick starts and runs on the scoreboard in the initial sessions of the test match itself.

Dhawan brings with him a certain uniqueness into the test side. He is one player, who if bats out a session would guarantee the team runs.

Even though he might not prove to be the most consistent batsman on this tour, but Virat Kohli would know that even if Dhawan wins them a few sessions, it would go a long way in putting them into strong winning positions from where they can close out matches in their favour. Dhawan could well be the X-factor for the Indian Team.

Murali Vijay

Murali Vijay for long has been the most underrated batsman in the Indian test lineup. He has been rock solid for India. When Vijay bats, you expect to see a plan in action. Vijay has the temperament and technique required to negotiate the new ball.

The right-handed batsman from Tamil Nadu can defend and leave balls at will but at the same time score big hundreds at a healthy strike rate once he gets his eye in.

Vijay is the perfect foil to someone like Dhawan as he provides him with the sense of security of one end being firmly taken care of which allows him to score freely.

In English conditions, it is paramount to make sure one sees of the initial swing and seam. Vijay is perfectly capable of consistently leaving good deliveries and in the process tiring out the bowlers which would enable the batsman coming in to feed on the old ball and reap the fruits of Vijay's perseverance.

These two will have a big part to play in the batting order

No.3 :

Cheteshwar Pujara

If patience and calmness had to be personified it could very well be done through Cheteshwar Pujara.

The batsman from Saurashtra knows how to put a price on his wicket. He can stay at the crease for long hours and still not lose an iota of his concentration. Pujara is the No. 3 batsman for India around whom the entire batting lineup can revolve and play their natural game.

Even though the last time India toured England, Pujara had a forgettable tour with the bat, but since then he has had quite a lot of county stints behind him and would have gained a fair understanding of the English wickets.

India would be hoping that Pujara can overlook the demons of his previous tour, and keep churning out the runs while playing long sessions.

No.4:

Virat Kohli

For quite a few years now, run-scoring by Virat Kohli has been directly proportional to India winning games.

The reason for it being that whenever Kohli scores run it is done in a way that has maximum impact on the game. The batsman brings in intent and a purpose when he bats. The way Kohli bats is infectious.

His strokeplay has the ability to win games single-handedly. However, in 2014, believe it or not, Kohli was the poorest performer amongst all Indian batsman in England. With his nemesis in Jimmy Anderson, Virat could not find himself a way to play the swinging ball and kept falling cheaply.

The cricketing pundits called it a blip and are expecting Kohli to come back really strong this time around. The entire nation and Virat would be hoping the same too.

Kohli is too good a batsman to not be able to re-emerge from the ashes. Kohl's form at No. 4 would play a huge role in deciding whether or not the scoreline at the end of the series would be in India's favour.

Middle Order

Rahane seems to be the perfect fit for No.5

Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane at No.5 is probably the most technically sound batsman in this Indian Lineup. He has shades of both Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in his stroke play.

Rahane has scored runs all around the world and was India's best batsman on the tour of 2014.

The batsman from Mumbai scored a breathtaking hundred at Lords enabling India to win they're only game of the test series.

Rahane has been the glue of the Indian middle order for some time now. He has the capability of playing the waiting game as well as scoring runs at a fast rate when required.

He has had a dip in form with the bat in recent times, but the Indian Team would be backing him to take inspiration from his exploits on the previous English tour and lead the run-scoring charts once again for his team.

Middle Order/ Wicket Keeper

Dinesh Karthik

With India's first choice wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha out for another two months owing to an injury, the two wicketkeepers picked by the selectors are Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant.

India in all probability should be going into the first test match with Dinesh Karthik as their man behind the stumps.

Karthik has been around for quite a while now. He was with the team when they won their first ever test series in England.

The Tamil Nadu batsman had scored a brilliant 91* in the last game of the three-match series which ensured India a draw and a 1-0 series victory. Karthik, who has been in the shadows of a certain MS Dhoni ever since the latter made his debut, would believe life has come a full circle for him again.

He has been granted an opportunity yet again to be India's first choice wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket. However, Karthik has earned his spot. He has turned a new leaf and been in great form in limited overs cricket in recent times for India.

He currently looks the best with bat in hand than he has ever looked in his career, but it is his glove work that needs to be spot on for him to give any competition to Wriddhiman Saha who is arguably the best wicket keeper in the world.

Even though India might be tempted to play the flamboyant and raw talent in Rishabh Pant, but it would probably be the experience that would get the nod.

All-Rounders

Pandya could be the game changer for India

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is the seam bowling allrounder India has been looking for quite a long time now.

The man from Baroda can bowl seam up's and score some quick runs with the bat too. If England has Ben Stokes, India can claim to have Pandya. Even though it would be a real test for him to play against some quality seam and swing bowling, Pandya at 7 brings with him a great balance to the side.

On his day, he can be a game changer. Kohli and the support staff would be hoping that Hardik could be their third genuine fast bowling option who would break a few partnerships with the ball and also score a few crucial runs down the order.

Ravichandran Ashwin

R. Ashwin has been India's premier spinner in test cricket. The off-spinner has taken a truckload of wickets for India.

Though the conditions in England would not be as spin friendly for him as in India and he might not be leading the bowling attack this time around, the Indian Team would be hoping he could build pressure on the English batsmen and contain them along with chipping in with some important wickets.

Also, with four test hundreds to his name, Ashwin can be pretty solid with the bat too and would strengthen India's batting order going as deep as No.8.

Bowlers

Kuldeep has been troubling batsmen with his bowling

Kuldeep Yadav

Birmingham is one wicket where India might be tempted to play two spinners. It is the perfect opportunity for India to throw in their mystery spinner right at the start of the tour. The move to play the left arm chinaman bowler could go either way.

It might turn out to be an ineffective move but if somehow Kuldeep Yadav manages to bamboozle a few English batsmen and create a few doubts in their minds, it would be a masterstroke on part of India as it might give birth to a few demons for the English batsman that can very well be exploited by the Indians all through the long test series.

Playing Kuldeep is a gamble, but it is one gamble that should be played right at the beginning. Because, if it does pay off then Team India might gain a mental edge over England and put them under tremendous pressure.

Mohammed Shami

In the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is still recovering from an injury, Mohammed Shami should begin the proceedings with the new ball for India.

The fast bowler has speed and can make the ball talk with his swing too. He has been a wicket-taker for India in red ball cricket and has the ability to push the English batsman on the backfoot.

Mohammed Shami can also reverse the old ball quite a bit, which is priceless for a team in English conditions. Shami is a wicket-taker and should be in the starting XI at Birmingham.

Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma is the bowler who would be leading the Indian bowling attack in the absence of Bhuvneshwar.

The lanky fast bowler, with an exceptional spell of fast bowling, won India the game at Lords in 2014. Ishant has been plying his trade in county cricket for quite a while now and should have a fair understanding of the conditions by now.

He has been much more consistent and penetrative with his bowling in test cricket in recent times. India would have great expectations from Ishant to get them the breakthroughs both upfront and in the middle stages of the game.