India Playing XI for 1st Test: Rahul or Agarwal, who will partner Rohit?

India Playing XI for 1^st Test vs ENG: After Shubman Gill, another opener Mayank Agarwal has suffered an injury setback after he was ruled out of the 1st Test with a concussion. That paves the way for KL Rahul to open alongside Rohit Sharma in the 1st Test against Joe Root’s England, starting August 4. With that sorted, skipper Virat Kohli & coach Ravi Shastri are likely to go with four pacers options bringing in Mohammed Siraj or Shardul Thakur as the Trent Bridge pitch sports a greenish look.

India Playing XI for 1st Test vs ENG: KL Rahul set to open with Rohit Sharma

IND vs ENG 1st Test – India Playing XI: As Prithvi Shaw is out of the first two Tests and Mayank Agarwal ruled out of the 1st Test, KL Rahul has got a good opportunity to cement his place as India’s Test opener.

After a two-year absence from Test cricket, the Karnataka batsman is hungrier than ever to cement his place in the Playing XI. After a string of poor shows, Rahul was shown the door after the West Indies series in 2019. Since then, he has only been preferred as a limited-overs batsman.

But with a fantastic unbeaten century against Select County XI, KL Rahul has proven his doubters wrong and has declared that he is ready to continue in Test cricket. As early indications suggest there will be a lot of swing on offer at Trent Bridge with overcast conditions and a fair bit of grass on the pitch, KL Rahul, being in the top form would be an effective weapon against James Anderson and Stuart Broad with his sheer ability to take the fight to the bowlers.

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India Playing XI for 1^st Test vs ENG: KL Rahul set to open with Rohit Sharma

Compared to Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul has more experience in England.
In five Test matches, Rahul has scored 299 runs at an average of 29.90 including a century.
He has also shined in First-Class cricket in England, scoring 271 runs in two matches including two half-centuries and a century.
If he gets going with Rohit Sharma, India can look to post a big total against England.

Also Read: India tour of England: James Anderson on verge of creating history, set to surpass Anil Kumble’s wicket tally in Test

India Playing XI vs ENG 1^st Test: Virat Kohli likely to pick 4 pacers

As for India’s bowling combinations, Virat Kohli & Ravi Shastri are expected to pick 4 pacers with the grass on the pitch and overcast conditions indicating that. Furthermore, the UK MET department predicts intermittent rain and cloudy conditions. All of these indicate that there will be four pacers and a spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin with Ravindra Jadeja set to make way for a specialist bowler in Mohammed Siraj or Shardul Thakur.

India Playing XI vs ENG 1^st Test: Shardul Thakur or Mohammed Siraj, who will come in?

Even though Shardul Thakur offers batting depth, Mohammed Siraj is the preferred choice considering his ability to swing the ball.
Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said all the bowlers have had batting practice and would be ready to bat longer if needed.
Mohammed Siraj has been in prime form in Test with his exploits in Australia.
Shardul Thakur although has impressed, will have to sit out.

Also Read: India vs England Test Series: IND vs ENG Test Series Full Schedule, Full squads, Live Streaming, Date, Time, Venues – All you need to know

India Playing XI vs ENG 1^st Test:

Openers: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, No 3: Cheteshwar Pujara, No 4: Virat Kohli, No 5: Ajinkya Rahane, No 6: Rishabh Pant, No 7: Ravichandran Ashwin, No 8: Mohammed Shami, No 9: Jasprit Bumrah, No 10: Mohammed Siraj, No 11: Ishant Sharma.