India face one of their toughest challenges in Test cricket as they begin a five-match series against England, at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Wednesday. The last time India won a Test series in England was back in 2007, and the previous three tours to the United Kingdom have resulted in defeats in the longest format.

India captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will be keen to get the right balance in the playing XI from the get-go, for a strong start by the visitors will go a long way in helping them remain confident through the gruelling series.

First things first, India will have a new opening pair with Shubman Gill injured and Mayank Agarwal ruled out of the first Test due to concussion. Rohit Sharma will most likely start and it remains to be seen who partners him at the top of the order. KL Rahul could be the front-runner as he scored a century in the tour game, while Abhimanyu Easwaran is the other option in the squad.

The middle order will have a huge job on its hands as skipper Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane are three of the most experienced Test batsmen in the Indian team. The trio wasn’t among the runs in the World Test Championship final and will look to make an impact from the start of the series against England.

Hanuma Vihari is also in the squad and the Indian team management could be tempted to give him a spot in the middle order. The right-hander has a solid defence and played a key role in the Test series win in Australia. But his inclusion depends on the bowling combination India want to go in with.

For the wicketkeeper’s slot, Rishabh Pant will likely get the nod even through he only recently recovered from Covid-19 and Wriddhiman Saha is in the squad as well. The left-handed batsman played a starring role in Australia, he had scored a century in the last tour of England, and the team will expect him to play a crucial role with the bat down the order.

In terms of the bowling department, India could go with two spinners and three pacers like they did in the WTC final. Ashwin Ravichandran got a five-for in a County game recently while Ravindra Jadeja can be a match-winner with his all-round skills. If the team decides to go with one spinner, it could open the door for Shardul Thakur who impressed with the bat Down Under.

Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami remain the front-runners when it comes to fast bowlers but Mohammed Siraj, on the back of his exploits in Australia, will be confident and could should get a game eventually in the series.

Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav are the remaining players in the Indian squad. They are all quality players to have but their inclusion will come down to the form of the first-choice players and injuries within the squad.

Tackling England’s fast bowlers will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge for the Indian team once again. The likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mark Wood can be devastating in home conditions and the visiting batsmen will have their task cut while facing the seam and swing.

England’s batsmen haven’t been in great form this year and India will hope their high-quality bowling attack can exploits the home team’s weaknesses. But again, it all comes down to how Kohli and Co fare with the bat in hand.

Squads

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav.

England: Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Mark Wood.

Match Starts 3:30pm IST on Wednesday.