1st Test: India vs England - Probable playing XI for India 

MIDDLE ORDER

#3 Cheteshwar Pujara

The number 3 spot is reserved for Cheteshwar Pujara. A class batsman, who has many records in his name, and has also shown marked improvement over time. Pujara is an obvious choice for the position. He has had a tremendous county season with the bat too and would be looking to increase his count of hundreds in English conditions.

#4 Virat Kohli

Skipper Virat might not have been as consistent in Test Cricket, but he has a lot to give back to England. He must be still having the dismal memories of his last bilateral series in England, where he had failed miserably with the bat in all formats.

However, the way he has scored 6 Double Centuries in Test cricket in no time, he is a big worry for the English bowlers.

He would look to overcome his weakness of playing swinging deliveries outside the off stump, something he has always been vulnerable and in England too. Indian fans would be hoping to see him fire and lead by example, just as he did in his career-defining series against Australia in late 2014.

#5 Ajinkya Rahane

India's go-to man in foreign conditions, Rahane would be sincerely hoping to prove his critics wrong this summer in England. He has to step up his role of anchoring the innings during the middle overs and be consistent.

He has great numbers outside the subcontinent, but he has to live up to his reputation and expectations from him. One bad series for Rahane might mean eviction from the team, making way for Karun Nair at number 5 or maybe Shikhar Dhawan getting a place at the top, while KL Rahul bats at number 4, in between Pujara and Kohli.

Ajinkya Rahane