4 questions India need to address ahead of the Test series against England

#3 How big a blow is Bhuvi’s unavailability?

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is out for the firat three tests due to injury

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has been India’s mainstay in fast-bowling department across formats for quite a while now. If not for injury he would have easily made the playing XI at Edgbaston and taken the new-ball without a doubt.

Given his ability to move the ball both ways, he could have been a major weapon in captain Virat Kohli’s armory and more so because of the conditions.

The lanky paceman was one of the stand out performers during India’s last tour to England in 2014. He featured in all the five tests and picked up 19 wickets, more than any Indian bowler in the series.

So yes, it’s a big blow to not have him in the team but the good news is that Umesh Yadav seems to have found his rhythm (what we saw in the warm-up game) and Ishant Sharma is coming off an impressive showing for Sussex. However, it’s fair to say they need to raise their game to make sure India don’t miss Bhuvi that much.