England vs India 2018: India's predicted bowling attack for the first test

The Indian squad for the first three Tests against England was announced earlier today. The selection committee went beyond the normal 15 or 16 to include 18 members in the squad, five of whom are pace bowlers. The squad also features the spin trio of Jadeja, Ashwin and Kuldeep. Given the aid the pace bowlers get on English pitches, it is understandable to have five pacers in the bowling attack. The Test series begins with the 1st Test in Edgbaston starting on August 1.

While India may not seem to have much to ponder over their batting lineup, the bowling attack which they will field in the first Test still looks uncertain. With five pace bowlers, two genuine spinners, and a couple of all-rounders Virat Kohli has his work cut out for him as far as getting the right bowling combination is concerned. Given Edgbaston's history of aiding swing and seam bowlers, it is almost a surety that they will have a pace-heavy lineup.

With Bhuvneshwar Kumar missing out on the first three Tests due to a lower back injury and Bumrah's unavailability for the Edgbaston Test, it remains a bit of an enigma as to what the composition of the bowling lineup will be. But if we are able to include the factors that are going to affect the selection we will be fairly close to predicting the actual set of bowlers that India will field in the first Test.

Without much ado, let's have a look over the bowling attack India is expected to field against England in Edgbaston.

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#1 Mohammed Shami

Shami is expected to lead the attack in absence of Bhuvi

With neither Bumrah nor Bhuvneshwar going to play the Edgbaston Test, Shami is likely to be given the responsibility of leading the pack of bowlers. Although he is not as experienced in Tests as Ishant Sharma, he has looked in better shape than him in the last couple of years and therefore is expected to lead the pace attack.

Shami was not in the best of form in white ball cricket. But, he was the standout performer with the red ball on the tour to South Africa earlier this year where he took 15 wickets in six innings, including a five-wicket haul in the last Test, which India won. The England Test series will be crucial for his ODI future as well for the current Indian attack desperately needs a good backup pacer, and he may well be a consideration if he performs out of his skin in the upcoming Tests.

#2 Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma will need to make his County experience count

Ishant Sharma will be one of the bowling mainstays apart from Mohammed Shami in the first Test. Coming after a mild success on the South African tour, he will be looking to make the most of the conditions in England. Though he was not as successful as Shami in terms of wickets, he clearly looked an improvement over his earlier self, bowling in the right areas and using his height to a great advantage.

He had a fruitful stint with Surrey in County cricket earlier this year. Indian team would be hoping him to make his County experience count in the series. He is expected to be in charge of the new ball along with Shami. Good at using his height and the hardness of the ball, he will get some considerable aid from the Edgbaston pitch early on in the innings. Even if Bumrah returns, he is expected to retain his spot.

#3 Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav will look to rattle the English batting lineup with his pace

India is expected to field a pace-heavy attack in Edgbaston, which is known for aiding speedsters. Although out of form currently, Yadav is likely to get a place in the playing XI for the first Test as Bumrah is unavailable. Moreover, his experience gives him an edge over his counterpart Shardul Thakur, who is yet to make his debut in the longer format.

Although he was a part of the Indian Test squad that toured South Africa, he was unable to get a game due to the presence of the likes of Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, and Shami. His inclusion in the first Test will give him a chance to stake a claim as a frontline pacer. A genuine pace bowler, he will have a plenty of support from the pitch and weather at Edgbaston.

#4 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin might be the only spinner in the starting lineup

Although India would like to have a pace-heavy attack in the Edgbaston Test, they will prefer to have the services of Ashwin, who will be their trump card against the English batsmen for they have often been found wanting against quality spinners. Moreover, as India has often seen batting collapses on foreign tours in Tests Ashwin will provide the comfort of one more genuine batsman.

Though Ashwin did not perform as per expectations in South Africa, he was a standout performer against Sri Lanka before the South African tour. With loads of experience, Ashwin is expected to use his knowledge of English conditions to turn things into his favour. It is only his experience that will make him a part of the playing XI instead of Kuldeep, who, it seems, a couple of English players have learnt to play of late.

#5 Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya's form will be crucial to India's chances in the series

Although India has the option of another all-rounder in the form of Jadeja, it seems unlikely that he will be a part of the playing XI in Edgbaston. Instead, Hardik is expected to play as the conditions in Edgbaston are expected to aid pacers more than spinners. Moreover, fielding two spinners in the lineup in swinging conditions might be worthless for the team.

Hardik showed glimpses of being a reliable lower middle-order batsman who can make runs against odds in the South African tour. His 93 in the first Test against the likes of Morkel, Rabada, and Philander in tough batting conditions was clearly an indicator of his abilities as a batting all-rounder. Although he still needs to work on both the aspects of the game, he provides India with the much-needed balance, and as long as he does, he will continue getting games at the highest level. But that should not make him complacent in the upcoming Tests, which give him an excellent opportunity to establish himself as a serious all-rounder in Tests.