Two Indian players who might make their debut in India and England series

The stage is all set as two of the biggest cricketing nations England and India will square off with each other in the five-Test series. The first Test match kick starts on August 4 at Trent Bridge followed by the second Test at Lord’s on August 12. The third Test is scheduled to be held at Headingley from August 25 while the fourth Test starts on September 2 at the Oval. The fifth and final Test will be played at Old Trafford from September 10.

The Test series between the two nations will also kick start the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship. Both the teams will enter the series on the back of defeats as England lost the two-match Test series against New Zealand while Team India lost the final of WTC 2021 against the Kiwis.

India vs England 2021: Two Indian players who can make their debut in the Test series against England

The five-Test series against England could make or break series for many Indian players. With few uncapped players in the side, there would be added pressure on some experienced players to perform who have found themselves under the firing line over the last few months.

The BCCI has confirmed that Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan and Washington Sundar have been ruled out of the tour of England.

Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav have been named as replacements in the Test squad.#ENGvIND

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 26, 2021

Let’s have a look at the two Indian players who can make their debut in the five-Test series against England.

1. Suryakumar Yadav

If turning dreams into reality then Suryakumar Yadav is the perfect candidate for this role. The 30-year-old batsman from Mumbai despite scoring an ample amount of runs in the domestic circuit consistently, failed to make cut into the Indian squad. However, over the years the right-handed batsman has shown his class in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic tournaments.

Ever since rejoining Mumbai Indians’ squad in 2018, Yadav has passed the 400-run landmark in each of the last three IPL seasons and has been the mainstay batsman for five-time champions. The 2020 IPL season was the breakout season for him where he scored 480 runs also slammed four 50+ scores in the season.

Despite scoring truckloads of runs in the IPL 2020, the Mumbai Indians batsman was not named in the Indian squad for the Australia tour which disappointed him a lot. His hard work finally paid off and he won the trust of selectors this year when he was selected for the white-ball series against England.

The swashbuckling right-handed batsman had a memorable debut as he smashed six on the first ball he faced in his international career and then later went on to score 57 runs in his first T20I innings. In the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, Suryakumar Yadav has looked the most comfortable Indian batsman. His masterclass in the ODI series even earned him the man of the series award and then continued his brilliant form with a fifty in the first T20I against the island nation.

He was rewarded for his performance in the ODIs with a call-up to England to join the India side as a replacement for the injured players. With some senior players facing criticism for their performances, it is highly expected that Mumbaikar can represent the nation in the longest format of the game in the upcoming five-Test series against England.

A look at Suryakumar Yadav’s domestic numbers

Suryakumar Yadav has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. The right-handed batsman has smashed 5,326 First-class runs from 77 matches at 44.01 and is also the owner of 2,903 runs from 101 List A games at an average of 38.19.

2. Abhimanyu Easwaran

Over the years the Abhimanyu Easwaran has faced a number of challenges and has almost always come through well. The right-handed batsman has been one of the prolific run-getters in the domestic circuit. He set the stage on fire during the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season where he amassed 861 runs at an average of 95.66. The 25-year-old carried his red hot form in the Duleep Trophy where he scored 153 runs in the final of the tournament and stole the limelight.

Abhimanyu Easwaran saw a drastic dip in his numbers as in the most recent Ranji Trophy (2019-20) campaign. He scored only 258 runs from 17 innings an average of just 17.20, and a best of 62. Even though he failed to set the world ablaze in the recent Ranji Trophy, the Bengal batsman was named in the Indian squad as a reserve on account of the hard yards he put in prior, wherein he plundered runs, both for the Bengal and India A outfit. The Bengal opener shared the dressing room with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin which was a great experience for him.

Easwaran, however also travelled with Team India to England as a standby player but injuries to the players in the main squad have opened doors for him and have now been added to the main squad along with the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav. If the first choice openers failed to assert their authority against England then it is expected that team management will look ahead and the right-handed batsman can don the Indian whites for the first time.

A look at Abhimanyu Easwaran’s domestic numbers

Abhimanyu Easwaran has been one of the main batsman for Bengal over the past few years. The right-handed batsman has smashed 4227 runs at an average of 46.96 in the 58 First-class matches while In List A cricket, Abhimanyu Easwaran averages 48.72 and scores at a decent strike rate of 82.40.

IND v ENG Test: Virat Kohli’s form will be crucial for Team India in England.

Going into England series, Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s form would be vital for Team India. The Indian skipper however has a below-par record in England’s conditions. The swashbuckling batsman has 727 runs at an average of 36.35, including two centuries against ‘Three Lions’.

During his first tour to England in 2014, which he calls the worst phase of his career, Virat Kohli scored just 135 runs at an average of 13.40 in five Tests. However, in 2018 Virat Kohli set the stage on fire when India toured England as he scored 593 runs from 10 innings at an average of 59.30. If the Indian skipper can replicate the same heroics as of 2018 there’s a fair chance that Team India can defeat England in the Test series in which will be their first win since 2007.

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