5 Indian Players For Whom This Might Be The Last England Tour

India’s upcoming tour of England promises to be a highly exciting one for the tourists as they eye a series win 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 ghosts of the 2018 and 2014 tours.

But as much promise the tour holds, it could also be the last England tour for a handful of cricketers. While their cricketing abilities remain intact, being on the wrong side of the 30s might affect their gameplay in the years to come and not find them in a position for another England trip. Hence, they could well see this year’s visit as their final opportunity to conquer the English shores and hand England their first series loss at home since 2014.

We take a look at five Indian players for who this could be the last England tour:

Cheteshwar Pujara:

Cheteshwar Pujara has been the fulcrum of the Indian Test team for the past 3-4 years and has played an integral role in their rise. The right-handed batsman has proved himself as the rock, holding the Indian batting line-up together and excelling even in the adverse of conditions. Pujara currently has 6244 runs in 85 Tests at 46.60 with 18 centuries.

In 2018, when India toured England, the 33-year old made 278 runs in four Tests at 39.71 with a century and half-century. Cheteshwar Pujara, already 33, has struggled a bit in some of the recent series, including against England at home. Even though the Saurashtra batsman remains a vital part of the side, he might not possess the same aura when India visits England the next time.

Ajinkya Rahane:

Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has often been an unsung hero of the Test side. Ajinkya Rahane has been a fairly consistent performer overall and has also led the team admirably well when Virat Kohli has found himself on the sidelines due to unavoidable reasons. But in the recent past, the right-handed batsman has been hugely inconsistent.

The 33-year old’s last two England tours have been a mixed bag, scoring 299 runs at 33.22 in 2014 and 257 at 25.70 four years later. Having visited the country twice, a lot will bank on Rahane, who will be one of the most experienced batsmen. Thus, he would be keen to show his mettle and make a defining contribution towards India’s win. But it is unlikely for the veteran to make it to another England trip.

Ravichandran Ashwin:

Ravichandran Ashwin is amongst the top-notch off-spinners today and is a wise cricketer, capable of adapting to different conditions quickly. Ravichandran Ashwin recently tormented England in the sub-continent, especially Ben Stokes, whose struggles against the veteran spinner continued. He also struck a sublime hundred in the second Test against them to earn the man of the series. Being in the best phase of his career, the Tamil Nadu off-spinner remains confident of him bowling well in any part of the world.

Ashwin was part of four out of five Tests in the 2018 England tour and took 11 wickets at 32.73. He will aim to translate those bits and pieces performances into a match-winning one, along with showcasing abilities when the visitors need them. While former Australian spinner Brad Hogg backs the 34-year old to play for eight more years. However, Ashwin’s fitness levels render him doubtful to play for that long and make it to another England tour.

Hanuma Vihari:

Hanuma Vihari has been a handy Test-match player and produced an outstanding rearguard in Sydney earlier this year to pull off an escape. But Hanuma Vihari might most likely not walk in as a first-choice player in India’s playing eleven. Nevertheless, the right-handed batsman has invested his time in county cricket ahead of the five-match series in England.

Hanuma Vihari, who currently averages a modest 32.84 with a century in 12 Tests, is yet to produce a defining performance against a top team. The 27-year old began his journey three years ago in England, where he scored a half-century on debut. While Vihari’s age is not the trouble, it’s the lack of consistent opportunities that renders him doubtful for another England tour.

Ishant Sharma:

After years of struggle, hard work and determination, Ishant Sharma has transformed into a seasoned Test bowler and become one of the most improved bowlers in the format. Ishant Sharma is perhaps the only player in the current Indian squad to have over 100 Test caps and is the leader of the pace attack. But the right-arm pacer has not achieved success for the Indian side in his last three tours. But the 32-year old is not only in the best form but also in the best mindset currently.

The right-arm seamer picked 11, 14, and 18 scalps in the last three England visits, raising the bar every time. Ishant, who will partner Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the pace attack, will fancy his chances of creating havoc on England‘s feeble batting line-up. But the veteran has also gone through several injuries in the recent past and it’s hard to see him coming back for another England trip. India would hope that the likes of Mohammed Shami, T Natarajan, Prasidh Krishna, and several others are well-groomed to take Ishant’s place.

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