3 Indian players who should be selected for the second Test

Whoever was of the opinion that Test cricket has lost its sheen and is now as good as over is experiencing the bitter taste of humble pie as Virat Kohli and Joe Root's men give their everything in a gut-wrenching battle at Edgbaston in Birmingham. In what happens to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller, the hosts secured a 31-run victory over India.

The visitors fought till the very end, but almost all of the resilience came from one man - Virat Kohli. The Indian skipper scored almost half of the runs his team accumulated, but it wasn't enough to get Ravi Shastri's boys over the line. The team selection will now be under great scrutiny as India prepare for another intimidating battle at the home of cricket, Lord's. Let us have a look at 3 cricketers who were not selected for the first Test but should get into the team for the second Test.

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#3 Karun Nair

Nair should get a nod ahead of Rahane for the second Test

Though the Indian batting order has failed miserably, barring the one exception called Kohli, the batter everyone is concerned about is Ajinkya Rahane. There have been criticisms about Shikhar Dhawan's technique or KL Rahul's temperament, but Rahane has got both the attributes in abundance.

Despite that, his form has been going consistently down with no signs of improvement. Perhaps, as the majority of the cricket pundits are suggesting, it is a mental issue, but he can be dropped to make way for Karun Nair. The 26-year-old has represented India 6 times in Tests and has scored 374 runs at an exceptional average of over 60.

Three of those six games were against England and he amassed 320 runs in those at an average of 160. Though those runs came in different conditions, Nair can provide the stability India want in middle-order.

#2 Ravindra Jadeja

India can opt for an extra spinner in Jadeja

Unlike yesteryears, Ravindra Jadeja is not an automatic choice for the Indian team for Tests anymore. Kohli went with a solitary spinner and four pacers but can take a different path in the second Test. Though he has contributed 53 runs with the bat, Hardik Pandya's bowling is a concern for India.

In 10 overs, he leaked 46 runs without opening his wickets tally. In 10 Tests Jadeja has played outside of India, he has picked up 34 wickets with his shrewd left-arm orthodox spin at an average of just over 35. Besides that, he has a batting average of around 25 in away Tests.

Ravichandran Ashwin's spin was enormously successful in the first Test, and adding an extra spinner might do the trick for India. Besides that, Jadeja has the safest pair of hands in a team otherwise filled with pairs of slippery hands.

#1 Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara is expected to regain his spot in the team

There were loads of discussions after the Indian playing XI was announced, a vast majority of which circled around one player - Cheteshwar Pujara. The 'tailor-made for Test' cricketer, the very cricketer who was once expected to reach Rahul Dravid's class, was left out of the team for a more aggressive option in KL Rahul.

However, that plan backfired as Rahul scored only 17 runs in the Test, and could only last 26 deliveries. There is no arguing over the fact that like Rahane, Pujara's form has taken a dip, but his recent stint in English county cricket might prove vital, as it has in case of pacer Ishant Sharma.

He has an away Test average of 35 and given the innumerable questions about the temperament of the Indian batters, Pujara seems the perfect fit to invest trust on.