The most anticipated Test series of the year between England and India will begin on August 4 with the first Test to be played at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. India last won a Test series in England in 2007 and since then has won just 2 Test matches in 3 visits.
Team India has been already jolted with injuries to three of their players and while the reinforcements will join them shortly, the team management will have to make do with the players they have at hand for the first Test match, to begin with.
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Keeping this in consideration, Team COC presents the Predicted Team India Playing XI for first Test in Trent Bridge.
India needs to include an opener from the players they have at hand to replace Shubman Gill who returned back to recuperate from his shin stress fracture injury. In contention are Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, and Abhimanyu Easwaran for the spot at the top along with Rohit Sharma.
But with Mayank Agarwal being ruled out of the first Test after suffering a concussion in the nets, it seems India might choose between KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran at the top. Rohit Sharma will face one of his toughest challenges against the moving ball in England as he faces off against James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and co.
Virat Kohli, the captain, will be the center point of the Indian batting as always and would hope for some support from the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Both Rahane and Pujara have been struggling for form and runs for the past 2-3 years.
Pujara hasn’t scored a century since his ton in SCG in the 2018-19 Australia tour, Rahane hasn’t scored a half-century since his match-winning ton in Melbourne in 2020.
Both are due for some big scores and if they fail in the first Test match, India might have to look at other options in the team. The pressure on them will increase with Hanuma Vihari and Suryakumar Yadav looking for a spot in the XI as well.
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With KL Rahul possibly opening in the first Test match, India might opt for Hanuma Vihari in the middle order. Or they can go for an extra batsman-cum-proper bowler in Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja's batting is amazing in the last 2-3 years and his bowling will be a plus. A bigger positive will be his fielding as well.
This will also enable India to play 5 proper bowlers with R Ashwin partnering Jadeja in the batting and bowling lineup as well. If conditions help spin just a bit, it will help India take an advantage over England in their own backyard.
The dilemma is also with the fast bowling combination as Jasprit Bumrah has been off-color recently and his ineffectiveness was one of the reasons why India lost the World Test Championship final.
This may result in Indian team management opting for Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammed Siraj in the pace bowling contingent.
Siraj has been energetic and in rhythm looking to impress and pick wickets and is a good candidate to give India an upper hand in the first Test which might set the tone for the entire series.
COC Predicted India Playing XI for the first Test against England:
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj
