Former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar feels India's upcoming Test series against England is going to be a decisive one for Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin.

Rohit and Ashwin have often been criticized for not being at their best on an overseas tour, especially in English conditions.

Rohit will be opening for India in the Test series and it won't be easy for him to tackle the new ball. To score big, he will have to survive against the veteran England pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

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“This is a make-or-break series for the Test batter in (Rohit) Sharma, because there is no point in having a batter with over 40 Tests under his belt, aged 34, to be in the Test team if he is going to get you big scores only in India,” Manjrekar wrote in his column for Hindustan Times.

Manjrekar further added about Ashwin and wrote that the off-spinner can be effective against England batsmen who are not so good against spin.

“This is also a big series for Ashwin. He has only 18 wickets in seven matches in England, also, of late he has had injury issues whenever he has been abroad,” he wrote.

“I wonder if it’s because he is forced to use his body more to get a bite from pitches that aren’t as responsive as those back home. He hardly misses a Test at home. With the new English batters not so adept at playing spin, India will look on occasion towards Ashwin, now on his third trip to England, to be the match-winner,” he stated.

Ashwin has picked up 18 wickets in 7 matches in England and Wales, with an average of 28.11 and a strike rate of 66.72. The series will start on Wednesday (August 4) at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham. 

(With Hindustan Times Inputs)