India set to face selection conundrum in England

The solitary historic test match against Afghanistan over-complicated India's selection puzzle ahead of demanding 5-match test series against England in England.

With Indian team management deciding to play all three openers in top three batting slots, the middle order contender Karun Nair had to warm the bench. Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay scored hundreds whereas KL Rahul, batting at 3, struck a half-century. With all three openers enjoying success, it presents India a tough selection task ahead of England tour.

The underlining problem is that Dhawan has always scored runs in the Indian subcontinent, but his form has faded in overseas conditions where technically and mentally he has been found wanting.

If selectors pursue with the combination they chose against Afghanistan then on the return of Virat Kohli, either of Pujara and Rahane has to vacate a place.

Batting Averages

Pujara away record is marginally poorer than Dhawan's but the crux is - it is Pujara who grants some hope of providing stability to Indian batting order owing to his calm, serene and unflappable temperament vis-a-vis Dhawan's fidgety. Also, Pujara is an outstanding first slip-catcher, a role which cannot be demeaned given India's abysmal record of slip-catching. Ajinkya Rahane solid away record means that he can't also be left out. 

The choice of wicket-keeper will be another headache for selectors. With Parthiv Patel out of the race, it will be Wriddhiman Saha and Dinesh Karthik who will vie for this coveted role. Saha has developed the reputation of a safe keeper but in past, he has batted behind Ashwin whereas Karthik, though is not in the league of Saha in terms of keeping, is a more efficient batsman with prior experience of English conditions.  

Albeit, quite surprisingly and possibly for the first time in India's sporting history it is bowling lineup that looks most settled with Bhvuneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah set to take their places back in playing XI after a hiatus. With Ishant Sharma providing consistency, Ravi Ashwin bowling diligently and experienced backups; bowling won't be on India's worry list when they sit down to pick the starting XI.