3 selection headaches facing India ahead of 1st Test match against Sri Lanka

India has to make a number of difficult picks for the 1st Test

India will be going into a Test match without Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane. The last time they did so was in a Test match almost 10 years ago.

Back then, Virat Kohli had not yet established himself as a Test cricketer and he had no centuries to his name. Now, he is ready to play his 100th Test, remains a constant in the middle order, but will be without Pujara and Rahane to give him company.

Ishant Sharma is not there either as the selectors have made it clear that they want to invest in the future. With Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah all set to lead the new ball attack, the toss-up for this third seamer is going to be quite interesting.

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Here we take a look at 3 selection headaches facing India ahead of the 1st Test match:

3.) Mohammed Siraj vs Umesh Yadav

Mohammed Siraj has been phenomenal in his short career so far

Mohammed Siraj has grown rapidly over the last 15 months across all three formats. He is a young pacer who could well be the leader of the attack in the days to come. However, he will face stiff competition from Umesh Yadav - a bowler who has been superb for India in domestic conditions.

In 30 matches in home conditions, Umesh has picked up 98 wickets at an average of 25.16. The dusty conditions in India are perfect for reverse swing and Umesh, with his line and length as well pace, has become a potent force at home.

Siraj, on the other hand, has been very impressive in helpful conditions and he is yet to be tested at home.

2.) Mayank Agarwal vs Shubman Gill

Mayank Agarwal has been a dominant force in Indian conditions

Injuries have not been kind to Shubman Gill since the World Test Championship final. He was very impressive as an opener against New Zealand, but the management looks at him as an option in the middle order. The middle order is spoilt for choice and this could once again push Gill up the order.

This is where he could face competition from Mayank Agarwal, who has been a run-scoring machine in home conditions. In seven matches at home, Mayank has scored 839 runs at an average of 83.90. He scored a superb century against New Zealand in the last Test series at home.

This will surely give the Indian management a lot to think about before the first Test match.

1.) Shreyas Iyer vs Hanuma Vihari

Shreyas Iyer has been in superb form in the recent past

In his stop-start career so far, Hanuma Vihari has only managed to get games in overseas conditions where India opted to go for extra batters. He is an excellent defensive batter - his strike rate of 42.66 in 11 Tests and 48.74 in 99 first-class matches is a testament to his prowess.

However, Shreyas Iyer is the man in form. He slammed a century on his Test debut against New Zealand. He was superb in the T20I series against Sri Lanka where he smashed three half-centuries on the bounce.

Sri Lanka could come in with a spin-heavy attack and this is where Iyer could come in handy. He has a solid first-class record - has an average of 52.1 and a strike rate of 80.22 in 56 matches.

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