England vs India 2018: 3 Indians who are likely to get axed from the squad for the last 2 Tests
After succumbing to an English onslaught at Lord's, the Indian team received flak from all quarters and had their backs against the wall. At Trent Bridge, the fortunes were reversed with the Indians displaying a clinical effort with both bat and ball. However, a fresh squad for the 4th and 5th Test means the players who failed to make hay in the first 3 Tests might be shown the door.
With players like Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Prithvi Shaw and Mohammed Siraj making headlines in the domestic circuit, the selectors will be inclined to expose these future superstars to the contrasting English conditions.
Time has run out for a few Indian players, and these three are most likely to find it out the hard way.
#3 Dinesh Karthik
Karthik’s comeback to international cricket was nothing short of a sensation. His stocks soared sky high after his last-ball-six in the finals of the Nidhas Trophy. His performance in the IPL again corroborated that he was not a one hit wonder. Things got sweeter for Karthik as he was selected for the England tour as Saha's replacement.
But his comeback in whites has been something to forget. His aggregate of 21 runs in 4 innings didn’t help the team’s cause and his own career. The Chennai lad’s glove-work also came under the scanner after his indifferent work behind the stumps.
There was always indecisiveness about the spacing between him and the slips, giving rise to dropped chances. Unless there are concerns of injury in the squad, it is tough to imagine Karthik retaining his place.