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India have taken a one-nil lead in the five-match Test series against England after a memorable 151-run victory in the second Test at Lord's.
England's batting order has been under immense scrutiny in recent times and has become a major cause of concern for their side. The likes of Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley have already lost their place in the side due to their torrid form and the constant chopping and changing isn't doing England any favors.
Ahead of the series, England batting coach Graham Thorpe stated that his batsmen's struggles were more down to questionable decision making and a lack of mental toughness rather than poor technique.
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A batting unit that's now heavily reliant on their skipper, Joe Root, the other batsmen need to come good if England are to fight their way back into this series.
On that note, let's take a look at the three current England players who have the most runs against India in the Test arena.
3) Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow is hailed as England's all-time great in the white-ball format but his story in red-ball cricket has been far from ideal. The middle-order batsman has been on a lean patch recently, scoring only 285 runs this year in 6 matches.
Bairstow's numbers against Kohli's men don't make for good reading either. In 15 Tests played against the visitors, he has aggregated 737 runs at an average of 28.34, including six half-centuries.
The last of his half-centuries came in the second Test at Lord's as he stitched up a crucial partnership with his skipper, Root. Bairstow had a torrid series in India earlier this year but in home conditions, he could be England's X-factor in the middle-order.
The wicket-keeper batsman looked much more assured in his defense at Lord's and will be hoping he can build on that throughout the series. With England (except Root) struggling for runs, they need the likes of Buttler and Bairstow to step up and share responsibility with the bat.
2) Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler's numbers against India are quite promising. In the 14 Tests he's played against India, Buttler has amassed 822 runs at an average of 37.36, including a century and five half-centuries.
The wicket-keeper batsman has been riddled with injuries in recent times, which has hampered his England career for a little while. In five Test matches played this year, Buttler has scored 250 runs with just a lone half-century to his name.
Buttler played a gritty knock in an attempt to save the second Test at Lord's but eventually couldn't get his side over the line as he perished. He's had his troubles with Jasprit Bumrah in recent times. However, he did spend some time in the middle in an attempt to save the Test for his side at Lord's.
While Buttler wasn't able to save the Test, England will be hoping that the time spent in the middle will give him confidence going forward in the series.
1) Joe Root
The England skipper has been in the form of his life since the start of 2021. In 10 Test matches played this year, Root has scored 1277 runs at a staggering average of 67.21, scoring one half-century and five hundreds. The fifth hundred came in at Lord's in the second Test against India, making him the first England captain with that many in a calendar year.
Root also became only the second England batsman to reach 9000 runs for England in Tests. The Yorkshire batsman has already scored 386 runs in the series, making him the top-scorer so far.
Root is no stranger to playing against India. In 22 matches played against the subcontinent opponents, he has amassed 2175 runs at an average of 60.41, registering 10 half-centuries and seven centuries.
England will need their skipper to carry on his stellar form throughout this series and beyond, with the rest of the batsmen really struggling to find their feet.
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