It’s time for the India vs England 1st Test in Hyderabad. And fans will begin the home leg of India matches with disappointment as there will be no Virat Kohli for the first two IND vs ENG Tests. But that’s a good opportunity for both Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul who had been fighting for one spot in India Playing XI for the 1st Test.
On Monday, BCCI confirmed that Virat Kohli had to withdraw from the first two Tests owing to personal reasons. While his absence will be a big blow with no replacement still not named, it clears the way for both Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul.
With KL Rahul unlikely to keep in Tests at home, he could only play as a specialist batter in India Playing XI. And it would have been a direct clash with Shreyas Iyer.
Both Indian batter have had lukewarm returns in home Tests and there was no clear winner. KL Rahul would have been a frontrunner after his excellent century in Centurion. But now, the debate is over. Both will play in IND vs ENG 1st Test.
Axar Patel vs Kuldeep Yadav
However, there is still a selection headache on the bowling combination. The pitch in Hyderabad sports a dry look and even though it may not be a rank turner, there will be some assistance for spinners as the match progresses. Whether Rahul Dravid & Rohit Sharma want to trust the seam attack or add an extra spinner in Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav will be a big call.
Axar Patel has had an excellent record at home while leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav will offer variety in spin attack. However, Axar is way ahead of Kuldeep in terms of wickets in home Tests.
| Player | Mat | Wckts | Best | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axar Patel | 10 | 42 | 6/38 | 5 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 4 | 16 | 5/57 | 1 |
Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma will also need to take a call on India’s third seamer. In case, India decide to go with three eamers and two spinners, Mukesh Sharma could get the nod over Avesh Khan.
Apart from that, India Playing XI is set. Rohit Sharma will open with Yashasvi Jaiswal with Shubman Gill getting another chance at No 3. Shreyas Iyer will get Virat Kohli’s No 4 slot while KL Rahul will bat at No 5. KS Bharat who will keep wickets will get the No 6 spot. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will occupy No 7 & 8. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are the two sure-shot starters in the seam attack.
Predicted India Playing XI 1st Test
- Rohit Sharma
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul
- KS Bharat (WK)
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Kuldeep Yadav/Axar Patel/ Mukesh Kumar
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
India Squad (1st two Tests)
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan
