IND vs ENG 1st Test: Rahul Dravid relieves KL Rahul of wicket-keeping duties, all eyes on KS Bharat, Dhruv Jurel

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ALSO READ: Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England citing personal reasons As India's star cricketer Virat Kohli will not join the squad for the first two tests due to personal reasons, Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are likely to feature in the XI. Rahul is likely to play only as a specialist batter like Iyer. Dravid said the choice would be between Bharat and Jurel, on being asked who would do the wicketkeeping for India.

"But considering five Test matches (against England) and playing in these conditions the selection will be between the two other keepers we have," he explained. Looking at KL Rahul's stats, he has been a designated wicketkeeper only thrice in his 92 First-Class matches and none of those appearances came in India. With India playing against England and Virat not part of the squad, it might not have been wise for the team management to pick Rahul as wicketkeeper.

Bharat has done reasonably well in the role after Rishabh Pant was injured in a car accident. Though he has not made a mark with the bat, his efforts behind the wickets cannot be brushed aside. He has amassed 287 catches and 33 stumpings from 91 First-Class matches.

Also, Bharat may get the nod as wicketkeeper-batter for the series against England. as his unbeaten 116 helped India A draw the first unofficial 'Test' against England Lions at Ahmedabad recently. -1st Test, Hyderabad, 25 - 29 January -2nd Test, Visakhapatnam, 02 - 06 February -3rd Test, Rajkot,15 - 19 February -4th Test, Ranchi, 23 - 27 February -5th Test, Dharamsala, 7 - 11 March England Test squad: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie