India vs England 2nd Test Day 1: 5 talking points

#2 Rahane's form

Ajinkya Rahane nicked off yet again

Ajinkya Rahane had been one of India's best Test batsmen in recent times, acting as a wall between the top order and the lower order. However, his recent form has been a worry for team India. More than mere runs, the way in which he has thrown away his starts has not been a pretty sight.

His scores across formats since the big 188 in the Indore Test against New Zealand read 33, 28, 5, 57,20, 13, 1 and 23. Today with just an over and a half remaining in the day and a new ball in Anderson's hands, Rahane decided to poke at a fifth stump line delivery, only to nick behind to Bairstow to gift England a wicket.

While Saha and Ashwin's recent form has meant Rahane's loose strokes go unnoticed, it might not continue for long. England have a quality attack capable of running through the lower order. Rahane is the glue in this line-up and needs to tighten up his game for the rest of the series.