What should be the Indian Test XI going forward

All-rounders: Bhuvneshwar Kumar and R Ashwin

R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar

In spite of all the Kuldeep Yadav hype of late, Ravichandran Ashwin is easily India's number 1 Test spinner and he has proved it in the first Test at Edgbaston. He is unlikely to be dropped from the side in the near future. Adding to his bowling abilities, Ashwin is a handy batsman who has scored runs down the order for India on a consistent basis. Some of the shots he plays will show that he was an opening batsman, who became a spin bowler. Ashwin playing as an all-rounder ahead of Hardik Pandya will help the team accommodate an extra frontline fast bowler (if they play in seamer-friendly conditions) or an extra spinner (if India play at home or in spinner-friendly conditions).

The Indian team are really missing Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the all-rounder badly in England more than anyone else. With Bhuvneshwar in the side, they had a bowler, who can swing the new ball both the ways and trouble the batsman and with the bat, he has a better technique than most of the batsmen in the playing XI. He might not score centuries on a consistent basis, but he is good enough to score 40-odds every now and then, something that can be considered as a gold dust from a batsman who is coming in at number 8.

In spite of Hardik Pandya's valiant efforts with the bat, the Baroda all-rounder will have to miss out from the XI because of the presence of two two-dimensional players.