5 Indian Players Who Might Get Benched In The Entire England Tour

India’s forthcoming tour of England for WTC final and 5-match test series against England promises to be a highly exciting one for the tourists as they eye a series win against England for the first time in the nation since 2007. Having dominated England at home, the Indian team will look to assert their authority on Joe Root’s men in their backyard in the five-match Test series, beginning in August. Virat Kohli’s men also find themselves in a good place and set to bury the nightmares of the 2018 and 2014 tours.

But as much excitement and promise India’s England tour holds, there could be a few players who could stay on the bench for the entire visit. Such players could get opportunities only if any first-choice cricketers get injured or due to any other unavoidable circumstances. With the Indian cricket team having an enormous amount of depth at present, these players have to spend some time on the sidelines before coming into consideration.

We take a look at five Indian players who might be benched in all of England tour:

Axar Patel:

India’s latest Test debutant Axar Patel starred in their series win at home against England earlier this year. He took a five-wicket haul in all three Tests, finishing the series with 27 wickets in three Tests at 10.59 with four fifers, a four-wicket, and a ten-wicket haul. Based on his exploits in the sub-continent, the left-arm spinner got the nod for the England tour.

However, Axar Patel is unlikely to get the nod for any of the Tests on the English shores. The 27-year old might be a highly effective bowler at home; however, India is likely to stick with the experienced duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on surfaces that may not assist spinners, too much. Thus, Patel is less likely to get a game in England.

Washington Sundar:

Washington Sundar has flourished in his short Test career so far with both bat and ball. With the bat, Washington Sundar has scored 265 runs in four Tests at 66.25 with three half-centuries. Nevertheless, with the ball, the off-spinner has a mediocre average of 49.83, managing six wickets. He is yet another player who is less likely to get a game in England.

The 21-year old might have performed exceedingly well with the bat; however, the presence of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin does not allow Sundar to get a spot. With the surfaces in England not expected to assist spin as much as in the sub-continent, Tamil Nadu-born all-rounder is unlikely to play a Test.

Shardul Thakur:

Shardul Thakur is one of the pacers that the Indian selectors picked in the tour of England. Shardul Thakur has played only two Tests thus far; however, he has matured to become an all-round performer. The 29-year old has seven wickets in two Tests and scored 73 runs at 36.50.

But with India having all their pacers fit, they are unlikely to turn to Shardul Thakur. Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami are likely to start the series. An injury to any one of them opens the door for Mohammed Siraj or Umesh Yadav. Thus, Thakur would be the last resort.

Wriddhiman Saha:

The door seems officially closed on Wriddhiman Saha in Test cricket. Rishabh Pant has sensationally improved his batting and keeping in the last few months to become the first-choice keeper-batsman in the longest format. Pant, who began his Test cricket journey in England in 2018, will start the series in England as well.

On the other hand, Wriddhiman Saha, who will travel as a backup keeper-batsman, has excellent keeping skills. Saha’s batting is also handy; however, it is not extravagant or provides the cutting edge that Pant does. Hence, the veteran will not get a Test unless Pant injures himself.

Hanuma Vihari:

Hanuma Vihari has delivered some promising performances for the Indian team; however, he is often not considered in the first-choice XI in Test cricket. Hanuma Vihari also got the nod in the Australian tour and did reasonably well. The right-handed batsman currently 624 runs in 12 Tests at 32.84 with one hundred and four fifties.

Though Vihari produced an outstanding rearguard in Sydney to eke out a famous draw against Australia, the batting line-up picks itself. The 27-year old is also yet to deliver a telling performance in the ongoing county championship for Warwickshire; hence, it looks unlikely for him to get a Test in England. But most notably, Vihari scored a fifty on his Test debut three years ago in England.

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