India Tour of England: Virat Kohli only bright spot in batting on English soil, how do the rest stand? Check out – Virat Kohli-led team India will take on England in a five-match Test series starting August 4. India will be looking to win the Test series in England after 13 years. The only thing which comes as a big concern for Virat Kohli and Co is the dismal form of India batsmen- Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rishabh Pant barring skipper Virat Kohli. The top-order needs to perform as India look to turn things in their favor after losing WTC Final where batsmen struggled in England once again.
Here at InsideSport we bring you all the stats of Indian batters in England- Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant- which the players need to improve if India looks to script history in England.
India tour of England: Big challenge for batters barring Virat Kohli as India aims to win Test series in England
Cheteshwar Pujara: 10 matches, 523 runs @27.53
India’s batting mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara has failed to live up to the standard of middle-order batsman in the last few matches. In fact, he is yet to score a fifty in last 8 innings, including a practice match in Durham. He has scored 523 runs in England at an average of 27.53 in 10 Test matches which includes just one century and a couple of fifties. It’s high-time Pujara reinstates himself in the upcoming Test series.
India tour of England: Rohit Sharma, 2 matches, 98 runs @24.5
India opening batsman Rohit Sharma needs to prove himself in England conditions. The first time he played was on the 2014 tour as a middle-order batsman. But he has managed just 98 runs at an average of 24.5 in two Test matches including the WTC Final against New Zealand. This time around, he will look to replicate his recent performances against England in their backyard.
India tour of England: Rishabh Pant, 4 matches, 207 runs @25.88
India wicket-keeper batsman is on his 2nd tour to England. The first time he featured in the 2018 tour, he slammed a century but failed to maintain consistency. But Rishabh Pant 2.0 has proved he can be a mainstay in India’s lower-middle order. While he didn’t shine in the WTC Final, he will need to play some crucial innings in England. Having managed a couple of tons against the opposition, he will look to draw inspiration. However, he averages just 25.88 like the above-mentioned batsman. He has scored 207 runs in 4 Tests with a century in England. At times, he needs to step up and emulate his Australia Test series in England and adding a carefree approach to his game instead of being careless.
Ajinkya Rahane, 11 matches, 620 runs @29.52
After Virat Kohli, India vice-captain in Tests, Ajinkya Rahane is the only batsman to have a decent record in England. But his stats in England isn’t enough. He is recovering from a hamstring issue and missed the warm-up match. He will look to better his 29.52 average in England. It is the second-best average after India captain Virat Kohli. He has managed to score 620 runs with the help of a ton and 4 half-centuries.
Virat Kohli, 11 matches, 784 runs @35.64
India skipper leads from the front with the best average among current players touring England. He has scored 784 runs at an average of 35.64 across 11 Test matches which include a couple of centuries and three fifties. India will once again bank on its biggest superstar as they look to win the Test series against England.
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