India vs England: 3 players India can use in the middle order
India will take on England in the one-off Test match at Birmingham. The match had to be rescheduled owing to a Covid outbreak in the visiting camp.
India lead the 5-match series 2-1, but a lot has changed since that last Test match. Rohit Sharma has replaced Virat Kohli as India captain while Ben Stokes has taken over from Joe Root. India will be without Ajinkya Rahane in the middle order, while KL Rahul is still out with an injury.
India were superb to take a 2-1 lead, courtesy their superb bowling attack. England, on the other hand, struggled with the batting, but they have rejigged their order and approach. They were dominant against New Zealand and this match could be a really close affair.
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Here, we take a look at 3 possible combinations India could try out in the middle order:
#3 Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari batted at number three in home conditions, but with Cheteshwar Pujara back in the mix, India could drop him down to the middle order. He has been a solid presence in overseas conditions and in England, Vihari can be a solid bet.
In 15 Test matches so far, Vihari has scored 808 at a solid average of 35.13. Most of his innings have come in overseas conditions and he has garnered good experience in the county circuit.
With the World Test Championship final spot still up for grabs, an in-form Vihari could offer a lot of solidity to the Indian batting order.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja
India have a lot of right-handers at the top and they could throw in Ravindra Jadeja in the middle order. Jadeja has had a great couple of years with the bat and could be used in the middle order to bolster the batting as well as add depth to the squad with his solid spin.
He has scored 2396 runs in 59 Test matches and has evolved as a genuine all-rounder. If India do want to get the best out of him, the number six spot could be perfectly suitable.
If we add his wickets and amazing athleticism in the field, Jadeja could be the X-factor for Rohit Sharma.
England bound ✈️
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#1 Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer has had a bumper start to his Test career. In seven innings so far, he has scored 388 runs at 55.42 and has one ton and three half-centuries to his name already. However, his biggest challenge will be this tour in English conditions against a highly skilled bowling attack.
Iyer made his Test debut on November 25, 2021, against New Zealand. He then went on to score his maiden century and became the 16th Indian player to score a century in his debut Test.
In the recent T20 series, Iyer was found wanting against some pace bowling and former India batter Wasim Jaffer believes that his weaknesses against pace bowling as one of the areas that need improvement.
With Suryakumar Yadav making strong statements in limited overs cricket, Iyer needs to step up and make this chance count in this Test match in the middle order.