India's Predicted Playing XI for the first Test againt England
India will lock horns with England in the first Test at Birmingham from August 1. It will be extremely important for the Indian team to start the long series on a winning note. The Indian team has been depleted due to injuries to their premier fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Even though India has a strong bench strength when it comes to the pace department, the services of Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah will be dearly missed in the pacer-friendly English conditions.
The team management will also be sweating over several team selection headaches. The fight for the openers slot is a three-way contest. While Murali Vijay is certain to play, one of KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan will accompany him. Another important decision to be made is about whether to go with two spinners or just one spinner and also if Kuldeep Yadav should be included in the playing XI, keeping in mind how effective he was in the limited-overs leg of the tour.
There are a lot of crucial decisions to be made and it is very difficult to predict India's playing XI. However, looking at recent form and performances from the practice match against Essex, we will try to predict the probable XI for the first Test.
Openers
Murli Vijay
One player who has been consistent in overseas tours has been Murali Vijay. Even though he hasn't scored big runs, he has been able to give India solid starts. Vijay who is called 'The monk' by his teammates for his immense levels of concentration will look to resist the initial burst from the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul looks set to start in the playing XI at Birmingham. Shikhar Dhawan, Rahul's competitor for the opening spot, bagged a pair in the practice game against Essex. Moreover, Dhawan's recent form has been indifferent and his performance in overseas Tests has been below par. On the other hand, Rahul made a steady 58 in the practice match and looks technically stronger.