England Vs India: Everything you need to know about the final test match

Since then, India has undergone a significant transition, including a new captain and head coach. Before deciding on their playing XI, India's team management would consider many important questions that will determine and affect the game's outcome.

If Rohit is unable to play, who should open?

It is simple if Rohit Sharma is healthy: he bats first with Shubman Gill, who had three at-bats during the exhibition game in Leicester, all of which came at the top of the order. But if Rohit hasn't fully recovered from his case of Covid-19, India would have to pick one of three candidates to be Gill's partner. Cheteshwar Pujara, KS Bharat, and Mayank Agarwal are these choices, and they will all arrive in Birmingham three days before the Test. The last time Pujara filled the interim role of opener was during the home series against New Zealand last year when Gill suffered an injury during the second innings of the first Test. For two reasons, Bharat, who was initially selected as the second wicketkeeper, may be optimistic about his chances. First of all, he was one of the few Indian hitters to score runs in both innings, scoring 43 as the opener in the second innings against a Leicestershire attack that included Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, and Navdeep Saini after scoring 70 runs in the first while batting in the middle order. Additionally, he has vast experience opening innings, having done so 77 times out of his 125 total at-bats.

The pace power of India:

Who plays the job of the third seamer is the sole uncertainty in the fast-bowling combo. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, the new-ball combo, demonstrated in Leicester that they are prepared for the England challenge by producing strong bursts of fast bowling. Mohammed Siraj threw down ferocious deliveries last year, especially while taking eight wickets at Lord's. Siraj was the second-best Indian bowler overall with 14 wickets in four Tests, trailing only Bumrah by four.

Umesh Yadav, playing in only his second Test of his third tour of England, entered the game at the Oval. He bowled tireless spells and shook England's batters, including Joe Root, to pick up a match haul of six wickets and keep himself in the running for the final Test in Manchester, which was ultimately postponed. Since the Oval Test, Siraj and Umesh have participated in three Tests. Both will be eager to stake their claim once more.

Ravi Ashwin- The all-rounder India needs

R Ashwin missed all four Test matches in England last summer because Ravindra Jadeja was the only other spin-bowling all-rounder on the team, which was managed by Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri, and Bharat Arun. In the wake of their defeat in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton, when they had fielded both Ashwin and Jadeja, India employed a four-pronged fast-bowling assault that typically included Shardul Thakur as the second all-rounder.

Ashwin finally joined the Indian team over the weekend after his departure was postponed due to a positive Covid-19 test. In Leicester, Ashwin decided to bowl in the match's final innings, taking two wickets, including Gill's, to demonstrate his match fitness.

The pitches in England last summer were typically green and conducive to seaming, but this year, during England's recently finished three-Test series against New Zealand, they have been flatter and more favourable to high totals. The Dukes balls used this year appear to have also provided the fast bowlers with little sideways movement. This has led to a more significant role for spinners this season; in the third Test in Leeds, Jack Leach picked up a 10-wicket match haul.

If Ashwin is given a chance, it may depend on the circumstances at Edgbaston. There is a likelihood that India will resume using both of their spinners if conditions are similar to those that existed during the New Zealand series. However, if they are comparable to the previous year, they might continue to stay with Ravindra Jadeja as the only all-rounder.