India vs England Test Series: India's predicted 16-man squad and starting XI

The reserves: Wriddhiman Saha, KL Rahul, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja

The reserves, all of whom are good enough to be in the 11, will be key for the team in a five-match series where the depth of the squad will be seriously tested. While carrying a second keeper may be a rather unconventional thing to do, the Indian team has done that on previous overseas tours, and if Dinesh Karthik does play, Saha will definitely be on the bench.

KL Rahul, who can play both at the top and in the middle order, will be a key batsman for India, especially considering how versatile he is - out of all the reserves, he probably has the highest chance of playing. Given the length of this test series, depth in India's fast bowling attack will be key, and Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma provide just that, with the latter having extensive experience in English conditions having played there on two previous tours and having just finished a successful county stint with Sussex.

It seems slightly absurd that the bowler ranked the third best in test cricket will have to sit out; but due to the conditions, such is the case with Ravindra Jadeja. There is a chance that his services will not be employed in any of the five matches; however, despite that, he needs to remain ready to grab his chance if called upon.