The pitch at Trent Bridge, the site of India's first Test against England, was photographed by BCCI a few days ago and exhibited a lush, green appearance. After their humiliation on turners in India earlier this year, England will undoubtedly attempt all in their power to turn the tables on India skipper Virat Kohli's side.
With only a few days until the series opener, the last thing India would have wanted was an opening conundrum in such a position. Cricketer Shubhman Gill had previously been ruled out due to injury, while Mayank Agarwal, who had been expected to take his place, got injured while batting in the nets on Monday.Mayank has been ruled out of the first Test after a bouncer from Mohammad Siraj impacted the back of his head, resulting in a concussion. It happened so late in the game that the Indian team's management is unsure who would open with Rohit Sharma.
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While Bengals uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran is the designated reserve opener, it's unclear whether the team's management will throw a rookie into the deep end in such a big game. It should be remembered that Easwaran's last first-class match was in March 2020 for Bengal, before the pandemic struck. KL Rahul and Hanuma Vihari are the other choices if the management decides not to go with Easwaran.
Vihari, on the other hand, has already opened in Australia and possesses the temperament and technique necessary to dull the new ball. It's also worth noting that he can bowl a few overs with off-spin.
Another possibility is to push Cheteshwar Pujara to open and reorganise the middle order. Ajinkya Rahane, the Indian vicecaptain, appeared to block it out. “Pujara has performed admirably at No. 3 and will do so in the future. After practise on Monday, Rahane stated, "The team management is looking into possible combinations and you will know very soon.”
Siraj, the paceman, was so impressive in Australia that there was talk of his not playing in the World Test Championship final, which India lost to New Zealand. The Hyderabad pacer has the temperament to perform on a big stage, so it'll be intriguing to watch whether Kohli chooses him over Ishant Sharma, the veteran pro.
Will it be Shardul or Jadeja?
Hardik Pandya grabbed five wickets the last time India played at Trent Bridge, ensuring India's victory. Bharat Arun, the bowling coach, has stated that Shardul is being considered as an alternative for Pandya in red-ball cricket. The management may be tempted to select an extra pacer who can bat in lieu of Jadeja in conditions when pacers would have some help.