England vs India 2018: 3 Indian players who can bag the Man of the Series award

India’s highly-awaited and much-anticipated five-match Test series against England has just gotten underway and it is something that cricket fans all over the world have been truly waiting for.

Two of the best sides in world cricket are out to fight it out in a series that will go on for more than a month. Team India is in fine form with everyone peaking well enough before the start of this long tour, and one should not be surprised to see the Indian stars ruling the roost.

India has selected an extremely strong Test squad, and even the players who would warm the bench are as good as the ones in the playing XI, since the exact team combination depends on the captain and the team management. The last series India played abroad was against South Africa where they lost, but played some really good cricket.

With the kind of form the Test team is in, let us take a look at three players who are possible contenders for the Man of the Series award.

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#1 Virat Kohli

The ghosts of 2014 might have surely come to haunt Virat Kohli, much before he took ground as India’s captain in the first Test at Edgbaston.

2014 saw Kohli getting out to the pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad quite often, and was exposed fishing outside the off stump on a number of occasions. However, the last four years have turned Kohli into arguably the world’s best batsman across formats.

Also, he is in charge of the side now, and that does put a lot of responsibility on him. In the last two years, he has hit six Test centuries as a skipper and therefore, he is on a different planet altogether when it comes to the runs tally.

However, he has yet to prove it in this part of the world. One can surely expect him to score heavily in the conditions that he already knows well having toured here before, and due to the recently concluded ODI and T20I series. Will Kohli get his act right against Anderson this time around? This question will be answered soon enough.

#2 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin

A Test specialist at the moment, Ravichandran Ashwin in surely turning into a legendary off-spinner. In a situation where the world does not have many such bowlers, he is one who is dictating the terms more often than not, against every opposition in every condition and in every part of the world.

He is also a dependable lower-order batsman that makes his contribution to the team extremely vital in the important stages of the game. In just 58 Tests, Ashwin sits at 316 Test wickets at a brilliant average of 25.34.

Having already scalped four wickets in the first innings of the ongoing Test at Edgbaston, he is surely on his way to having a fantastic series ahead. England’s opener Alastair Cook has become his bunny, getting dismissed to him for the eighth time in his career.

With most of the pitches on this tour expected to assist turn, he is going to pose a lot of trouble for the opposition.

Add to this, Ashwin is no amateur with the bat either. He already has 4 centuries and 11 half-centuries in the longest format of the game. It is interesting to note that each of his four centuries has come against the West Indies.

#3 Murali Vijay

Murali Vijay

This might appear to be an unlikely choice in the first go, but he is an integral part of Team India’s plans at the top of the order. Having solidified his game since last four years or so, Vijay has been like a strong pillar at the top of the order and has found success on almost every tour.

During India’s last visit to England in 2014, Vijay was one of the batsmen who stood out amongst the rest. Though India lost the series 3-1, he top-scored with 402 runs including one century and two half-centuries.

As the current series progresses, his role would become more and more definitive in making the English bowlers toil. He is nicknamed “The Monk” due to his calmness, and this is what makes him score his runs with precision.

He is equally powerful on both sides of the wicket, but the quality that he has drawn enough appreciation for is his ability to leave bowls outside the off stump.

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