Eng vs Ind 1st Test: 4 expected changes for India from the last playing XI vs Afghanistan
As the Indian team is gearing up for the upcoming 5-match Test series (Pataudi Trophy 2018) against England, the home team will look upon to avenge the 4-0 (5-match series) drubbing handed by the no.1 team back in 2016.
In the last 10 matches played by India in England, they have managed to win only one (Lord's test, 2014) out of it. Virat Kohli and his men will be eager to change the fortunes and fight back against the woes faced in the previous tours.
With the first test beginning on 1 Aug 2018, the Indian team are scheduled to play a 3-day practice match against Essex, starting on 25 July 2018. The selection committee picked up an 18-man squad, which is jam-packed with pace attack despite the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar due to an injury.
The Indian team management will have a cautious approach in selecting the best playing XI, considering their hasty decisions made during the South Africa tour.
Though India won their previous outing in Tests by a convincing margin (won by an innings and 262 runs), it came against a weaker opposition (Afghanistan) without their incumbent captain (Virat Kohli).
So, let's have a look at probable changes from the playing XI, which played against Afghanistan in their historic inauguration Test:
#4. Virat Kohli in for Shikhar Dhawan
Virat Kohli will be itching to get on the field and score a century in England (which he deserves too) to make amends for his forgettable tour (134 runs in 10 innings) to England in 2014.
The Indian captain will be an obvious inclusion into the side as he missed out on the historic Test due to a neck injury. With India having a settled top order, Shikhar might be benched for the first test in Birmingham.
Dhawan had a lean patch during the previous overseas tours to South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia. As Murali Vijay and KL Rahul are believed to have the set of skills to survive at the test level as an openers, the chances of him getting into the playing XI is less.