England vs India 2018: 3 Indians who are likely to get axed from the squad for the last 2 Tests

After succumbing to an English onslaught at Lord's, the Indian team received flak from all quarters and had their backs against the wall. At Trent Bridge, the fortunes were reversed with the Indians displaying a clinical effort with both bat and ball. However, a fresh squad for the 4th and 5th Test means the players who failed to make hay in the first 3 Tests might be shown the door.

With players like Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Prithvi Shaw and Mohammed Siraj making headlines in the domestic circuit, the selectors will be inclined to expose these future superstars to the contrasting English conditions.

Time has run out for a few Indian players, and these three are most likely to find it out the hard way.

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#3 Dinesh Karthik

Karthik has been clueless against swing

Karthik’s comeback to international cricket was nothing short of a sensation. His stocks soared sky high after his last-ball-six in the finals of the Nidhas Trophy. His performance in the IPL again corroborated that he was not a one hit wonder. Things got sweeter for Karthik as he was selected for the England tour as Saha's replacement.

But his comeback in whites has been something to forget. His aggregate of 21 runs in 4 innings didn’t help the team’s cause and his own career. The Chennai lad’s glove-work also came under the scanner after his indifferent work behind the stumps.

There was always indecisiveness about the spacing between him and the slips, giving rise to dropped chances. Unless there are concerns of injury in the squad, it is tough to imagine Karthik retaining his place.

#2 Murali Vijay

Vijay has looked a pale shadow of his 2014 self

India’s most bankable batsman from the 2014 England tour, looks to be past his prime. Perhaps age is getting to Vijay as his foot movement has been slower than ever. His most prized possession, ‘leaving the ball’, has befriended him and he now appears to be a knight without a shield.

Though his cover-drives still boast of elegance, his weaknesses have slowly outnumbered his strengths. Dhawan, who replaced Vijay in the third Test, justified the move and so it is highly unlikely to see the composed 34-year-old have his name typed on squad sheet.

#1 Lokesh Rahul

Rahul hasn't scored a fifty in 6 innings

Being billed ‘the future of Indian cricket’ can work as a double-edged sword. Rahul, couldn’t put a wrong foot in the IPL. His balance, poise, consistency, and appetite for runs earned him laurels from every part of the world. So, going into the Test series, Rahul had built unfathomable expectations. 3 matches down and Rahul’s place in the eleven has become highly questionable.

After the first Test, Rahul designed adjustments to negate the outswingers, only to fall prey to inswingers. The space between Rahul’s bat and pad has been more than sufficient to get him adjudged LBW or castled. This has proven to be his Achilles heel, and the Indian management might very well overlook the suave Kannadiga for the last two Tests.