Senior batsmen need to raise their game and other key areas as India search for victory in Lord's Test

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  • The likes of Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane need to step up for India.

    The opening game of the five-match series between England and India was the perfect advertisement for Test cricket.

    In the end of a thrilling Test in Birmingham, it was the hosts who came trumps with a 31-run win. For the visitors, it was a case of so close and yet so far as skipper Virat Kohli’s titanic effort of 200 runs in a low-scoring Test went in vain.

    As the attention now shifts to Lord’s for the second Test, we look at the key areas India need to improve upon.

    BATTING MUDDLE

    India’s batting minus Kohli was their biggest drawback at Edgbaston with none of the other top-order batsman making any imapct.

    The skipper himself accounted for 200 of the 436 runs in total scored by India with the next best batsman –  Hardik Pandya – contributing 53 runs.

    India will be hoping Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane provide a more meaningful contribution at Lord’s. The senior duo have played in English conditions and they will need to take more responsibility as the series progresses.

    Apart from Vijay and Rahane, India have more headaches with the dismal form of Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul. Both batsmen seemed highly suspect against the moving ball at Edgbaston and India might consider playing just one of them as an opener at Lord’s.

    This means a recall for Cheteshwar Pujara after the top-order batsman was dropped for the Edgbaston Test following his extended poor run with the bat. Pujara’s proven ability to wear out the red-ball could just be what the side needs with most Indian batsmen failing to spend any substantial time at the crease. It will still be huge risk reinstating him in the line-up but it can’t be much worse than what Dhawan and Rahul have served up so far.

    India must choose between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul to open.

    India must choose between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul to open.

    INCONSISTENT PACERS

    While Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin were exemplary with the ball for India at Edgbaston, Kohli will be disappointed with what he saw from the rest of his bowling attack.

    Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Pandya were inconsistent with their lines and lengths and failed to put the England batsmen under pressure despite enjoying the luxury of a lively pitch which had something for the pacers for almost entire Test.

    Their inconsistencies were in stark contrast to England’s pacers who constantly troubled India’s batsmen and did not allow them any breathing space.

    With no update on Jasprit Bumrah’s recovery process so far, India could be forced to choose from the same set of pacers at Lord’s. As such, Shami and Umesh will need to reflect on where they went wrong at Edgbaston and up the ante at Lord’s.

    Umesh Yadav was guilty of wasting excellent conditions for pacers.

    Umesh Yadav was guilty of wasting excellent conditions for pacers.

    TWO SPINNERS?

    As Ashwin’s performance at Edgbaston showed, spinners could have a big part to play in the remainder of the series if the heatwave in the UK continues. England’s left-handers looked at sea against Ashwin before Sam Curran took the attack to the off-spinner late in the second innings.

    With India’s pacers apart from Ishant misfiring at Edgbaston, Kohli could field two spinners. That would mean sacrificing one pacer or Pandya. Umesh is more likely to sit if Kohli does go down this road.

    Lord’s has traditionally had something for the spinners as Yasir Shah showed for Pakistan in 2016 with a ten-wicket match haul. In Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, Kohli has a solid pair of extra spinners and it could just be the attacking option India need to get back into the series.

    India could still be tempted to play the Kuldeep Yadav card.

    Kuldeep Yadav is a good option for the Lord’s Test.

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