IND vs ENG 2021: 3 changes India should make for the 2nd Test against England

After an enthralling series opener in Nottingham that ended in a tame draw due to rain on the final day, action in the India vs England series moves to Lord's. The second Test starts on August 12 at the Home of Cricket.

India were the better of the two teams at Trent Bridge and would've backed themselves to score the 157 runs they needed on the final day with nine wickets in hand. England were rescued by their old guard of Joe Root and James Anderson, with the majority of the batting lineup and a few supporting bowlers failing to come to the party.

Both India and England are expected to make a few changes for the second Test. While the hosts have drafted in players like Moeen Ali and Saqib Mahmood, India have to deal with a few niggles and form concerns.

Here are three changes India should make for the second Test against England.

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#3 Ishant Sharma for Mohammed Siraj

Australia v India - 2nd Test: Day 1

While Mohammed Siraj didn't do much wrong in the first Test, he could be rested ahead of a grueling tour. The 27-year-old got his chance because of an injury to Ishant Sharma, and the veteran pacer could walk into the Indian playing XI for the second Test.

Siraj bowled 25 overs in the second England innings - six more than Bumrah, nine more than Shami, and 12 more than Jadeja and Thakur. With three more Tests to come, the visitors would be well-advised to keep Siraj - as well as the other fast bowlers - in prime shape. If Ishant doesn't recover in time, Umesh Yadav - who deserves a place based on his recent Test performances - is another alternative.

The following change will also force India's hand into considering leaving Siraj out.

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#2 Ravichandran Ashwin for Shardul Thakur

India Nets Session

This might be a relatively straightforward change for India to make. With Shardul Thakur suffering a suspected hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out of the second Test, Ravichandran Ashwin should walk back into the playing XI.

India do have other pacers who could step in for Thakur, who picked up two wickets in each innings of the first Test. However, none of them offer the batting cover that Ashwin does, with this being the primary reason Thakur was in the first-choice team in the first place.

Ashwin, who is in an excellent run of form, will look to replicate his display for Surrey earlier this month. The off-spinner picked up a six-wicket haul in the second innings of the County Championship match and bowled extremely well in the World Test Championship final as well.

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#1 Hanuma Vihari for Ajinkya Rahane

Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire - LV= Insurance County Championship

It might seem crazy to claim that India should drop their vice-captain, but Ajinkya Rahane's form has been far from reassuring over the past two years. Barring an exceptional hundred against Australia in Melbourne, he has hardly made any notable contributions.

Hanuma Vihari could be the man to replace Rahane in the playing XI, with Mayank Agarwal being another alternative. Vihari has played County cricket in the recent past, and although he didn't do as well as he'd have liked, he got valuable experience and played a couple of noteworthy innings.

Vihari has been in and out of the Test team, with a string of matches being hard to come by. As a younger player than Rahane who could be brought in with an eye on the future, Vihari could use his compact technique and airtight defense to add some much-needed solidity to the fragile Indian middle order.

This change is unlikely to happen, but it's certainly something India must consider.