N ANANTHANARAYANAN

BIRMINGHAM : India’s build-up to the Test series in England has been dominated by talk about toporder batsmen and spinners, but as the teams gear up for the first game under a grey Birmingham sky, pace could be the key to unlock a shaky home team.

Skipper Virat Kohli sees 2018 as a great opportunity to show India can hold their own away from home and coach Ravi Shastri has said there would be no let-up in the hunt for victory, even if results don’t always come.

India’s pace bowlers have a great opportunity to deliver on the fiery quotient. In South Africa early this year, India bowled out the hosts in each of the three Tests as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar shared 39 wickets.

As Bumrah nurses a thumb injury and Bhuvneshwar a back stress, India have the depth in pace to hurt England’s inconsistent batsman. The big question India must address is whether to play two spinners, and include young Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav with off-spinner R Ashwin, or play three pacers in Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami to go with all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

Kuldeep has played only two Tests but has the X-factor as a wrist spinner, always a wickettaking option, and can trouble an England that relies on Alastair Cook and skipper Joe Root.

Rain in Birmingham at the weekend and an overcast sky on Monday morning with showers forecast for Tuesday too makes it tricky and bowling focus could also address balance in batting.