Sri Lanka vs India 2017: 5 Indian players to watch out for

A home season turned out to be smoother than expected for Team India under Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble, staying unbeaten in all but one Test throughout the 13 matches. A new era begins under the tutelage of Ravi Shastri, who is likely to be at the helm till the 2019 World Cup. However, it surely won't be a bed of roses this time, with several overseas tours chalked out over the next 18 months.

While the core of the Test team has been identified ever since MS Dhoni's departure, Virat Kohli's insistence to keep changing the playing XI has resulted in a plethora of options for each spot.

Here are five players to watch out for from the Indian squad for the Sri Lanka series:

Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan last played a Test for India in 2016

A last minute replacement for the injured Murali Vijay, Dhawan ticked all the boxes to warrant a return to his Test spot at the top of the order. Having experienced some tough times staying on the sidelines, Dhawan had a fruitful IPL and Champions Trophy, and makes a comeback to the side after close to ten months.

With KL Rahul also injured, Dhawan is almost certain to play at the top of the order, and will ensure that the scoreboard keeps running with his eye for gaps and deft placements. Also, given that he will be accompanied by Abhinav Mukund, who is low on international experience, Dhawan will have to put his hand up and be counted.

He got a solitary game against the hosts back in 2015, but made it count with a 134 at the same ground where India will play the first Test. He might want to revisit some of those highlight reels from two years back.

Abhinav Mukund

Mukund has played six Tests in six years

Mukund’s stop-start career has seen him play only six Tests in six years, but the volume of his domestic scores has helped him claw back into the side yet again. Murali Vijay and KL Rahul’s unavailability will mean Mukund is most likely to share the opening role with Dhawan.

With a penchant to score big in the domestic circles, Mukund will need one big knock to prove he, too, can belong to the big stage. Against Australia, he got just one game, returning with figures of 0 & 16. He was originally part of the South Africa bound India-A side, but was replaced by R Samarth when he got to board the Sri Lanka plane instead. Hopefully, he can justify his place and give the original opening pair a run for their money.

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep can provide the Indian attack some much needed zing

A specimen of one of the rarest of bowling breeds, Kuldeep brings the much needed X-factor in the Indian bowling attack, giving Kohli variety to add to the duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

He's handled the 'mystery' tag pretty well, extracting appreciable turn in the series against Australia earlier this year. On pitches conducive to slow bowling, Kuldeep could come out trumps, if he does get the backing of his captain as the fifth bowler.

Recently, Gautam Gambhir advocated for Yadav's inclusion (Kuldeep plays for KKR in the IPL, captained by Gambhir). Given that there is very little known about him, Kuldeep can employ his trade with minimal expectations and bring out an attacking facet to the attack.

Hardik Pandya

Pandya could be in line for a Test debut

He might still be a tad under-cooked, but Hardik Pandya is fast turning his potential into performances to warrant a long-term spot in the side. Being groomed as a finisher in limited-overs to potentially replace a waning MS Dhoni, Pandya will have a different role to play in the Test whites, with his bowling holding much more prominence with the red cherry.

Kohli admitted that last time around, the side couldn't strike the right balance, with the fifth bowler not doing much and the team finding themselves one batsman short. In such a scenario, Pandya is the perfect option, hurling deliveries close to 140 kmph and being more than an able batsman.

While Kohli has hinted at Pandya getting his maiden Test cap, it will be interesting to see where he fits: his aggressive batting has garnered kudos in ODIs, but it'll be a whole different ball game in Tests.

Rohit Sharma

Can Rohit finally seal his spot in the Test team?

Even after a decade of international cricket, opinions keep getting divided on Rohit Sharma. He is, without a shade of doubt, one of the best ODI players of present times, but his temperament in red ball cricket has been found wanting more often than not.

He had finally found the right balance towards the end of 2016, scoring a string of 50s, before a troublesome hamstring gave way, ruling him out for a few months. In the mean time, Karun Nair came in and blasted a record-shattering triple ton, a knock that would surely have a few frowns on a recuperating Rohit.

Nair's form went downhill since, and Rohit got the nod ahead of him for the tour, his second to the Islands, having travelled previously in 2015 as well. He managed only two fifty-plus in six innings then, and would surely require a better showing, with other middle-order candidates snapping at his heels.