Kohli’s Replacement, 3rd Spinner & Pitch – Talking Points of Ind vs Eng 1st Test

#INDvsENG | Who replaces #ViratKohli? Will Axar play, or Kuldeep? Here are the talking points ahead of 1st Test

Ahead of the first Test of the five-match Test series between India and England, which will be played in Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium from Thursday (25 January), cricket fans might sense an old-school aura – where there might not be any bitter enmity on display, but there is no visible esprit de corps either.

A delay in Visa issuance meant England’s off-spinner, Shoaib Bashir was unavailable for the first Test, with skipper Ben Stokes being vocal about his frustrations. The Indian camp – though not insouciant – has been calm in the build-up to the series. But placed second in the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship rankings with teams like New Zealand and South Africa breathing on their shoulders, they can ill-afford to leave any stone unturned in this series, with a 5-0 clean sweep being the target.

Before the action commences, let us have a look at the major talking points:

1. Who Will Replace Virat Kohli?

Virat Kohli – India’s leading run-scorer in the series against South Africa, and perhaps the team’s solitary come-rain-or-shine runs accumulator in Test cricket – will not be featuring in the first couple of Tests, owing to personal reasons. This leads to perhaps the most important question ahead of the first Test – if not Kohli, who?

Ideally, only two players from the trio of Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer would have featured in the first Test. But now that Kohli’s slot is vacant, all three might get a nod, with Gill batting at number three for India.

This will be a crucial opportunity for the 24-year-old, whose stocks have plummeted in the longest format of the game recently. Since the commencement of 2023, Gill has scored only 304 runs in Test innings, with his average of 27.6 doing very little to justify his potential.

Should the Indian team management prefer a left-field option, Rajat Patidar can also be given a chance to showcase his talent on the international stage. Whilst an official confirmation about his inclusion in the squad is still awaited, he has reportedly been asked to join the team in Hyderabad.

The 30-year-old has scored 4000 runs in 55 first-class matches, which includes 12 centuries and 22 half-centuries. His recent form has been spectacular, as in the two-match series between India A and England Lions, he scored two consecutive tons.

2. Who Will Keep Wickets for India?

Although KL Rahul did a fairly decent job with the keeping gloves in South Africa, he will not be seen behind the stumps on the turning tracks of India, as confirmed by his head coach, Rahul Dravid.

Subsequently, the place is open for either of the two candidates – KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel. The former will enjoy a seniority advantage, having already played five Test matches for the national team.

Whilst Bharat has predominantly been reliable with his glovework, the same cannot be said about his batting prowess. He has scored only 129 runs in those five Tests at an unassuming average of 18.42, with his highest being a 44-run knock in Ahmedabad.

Jurel, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper from Uttar Pradesh, might be known for his exploits in a Rajasthan Royals shirt in the Indian Premier League, but he has been a consistent run-scorer in first-class cricket recently.

Having scored 790 runs in 15 first-class matches – at an average of 46.47, and with three consecutive half-centuries on his last three red-ball expeditions, he has certainly thrown in hat in the ring, and might be handed a debut.

3. Who Will Be India’s Third Spinner?

Beyond death and taxes, there are a couple of other certainties in life for those who follow Indian cricket – the team fielding three spinners on home Tests, and two of them being, if they are available, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.

They are, for this series, and hence, will walk into the team and claim their place nonchalantly. This leaves the team management with only one vacancy for a spinner, with both Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel battling for that place.

Although he has established his eminence in white-ball cricket, Kuldeep still has a yard or two to travel in Test cricket. In only the eight Tests he has played, the left-arm wrist spinner has picked up 34 wickets. However, he has not featured with the red ball for India since December 2022, and on his last home Test match – which happened to be against England in December 2021 – he could only pick up two wickets.

All said and done, one would assume Axar Patel has a considerable advantage, except his recent red-ball performances do not inspire confidence either. While he has picked up 50 Test wickets in 12 matches at an exemplary average of 17.16, his numbers took a dip in 2023.

Playing four Tests, all of which were against Australia on home soil, Axar could only pick up three wickets. Notably, he conceded 186 runs in these Tests, and had an average of 62.

4. Will Hyderabad Be a Rank Turner?

Considering how the tracks in India have ostentatiously been inclined in the spinners’ favour – cue the Indore Test against Australia last year – England have found it fitting to field three specialist spinners, and only one pacer for the first Test.

Albeit, Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium might not have a rank turner on offer. India’s last Test match on this venue was in October 2018 against West Indies, where the roost was ruled by the pacers. Of West Indies’ 20 wickets, 10 were scalped by Umesh Yadav, which gives the neutral fans hope of witnessing a Test match that will last beyond two days.

5. Who Can Be England’s Trump Card?

For all of its flamboyance, chances of England’s massively-documented ‘Bazball’ approach falling flat on its face on the Indian tracks – which are likely to be harsh on the batters – are significant.

Understandably, they will rely on their bowlers – spinners, to be specific – to a great extent. Rehan Ahmed, the 19-year-old prodigy who has been picked in the playing XI for the first Test, could be Ben Stokes’ trump card.

Although he has played only 13 first-class matches, the leg-spinner picked up seven wickets on his Test debut, which was on a Karachi track that had plenty of purchase for the batters. His recent form has also been impressive, with 15 wickets coming in his last eight appearances for the Three Lions.