England go into the Chennai Test on something of a roll. They won both their Tests against Sri Lanka last month - that made it five in a row for them overseas - and will also be boosted by the return of three integral squad members in Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Rory Burns. However, their recent record in India leaves plenty to be desired - they were routed 4-0 on their last visit in 2016-17 - and they need to get their balance spot on to challenge a team on a high after their recent heroics in Australia.
Who should open?
Since making his debut at the end of 2018, Burns has established a reputation as the most durable of England's Test openers of the post-Alastair Cook era. However, two centuries in 21 Tests and an average of 32.44 aren't figures that demand an instant recall, and having chosen to sit out the Sri Lanka tour to attend the birth of his first daughter, Burns admitted last week that giving up his place came with risks.
And yet, given the struggles of England's incumbent openers in those two Galle Tests, the smart money would be on Burns slotting into his old berth, but at whose expense? Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley struggled horrifically on their Asian debuts, particularly against the new-ball spin of Lasith Embuldeniya, who exploited their combination of hard hands and lunging feet to undo them in seven innings out of eight, all told.
And yet, the one innings that got away was a masterclass of mind over matter, as Sibley willed himself to endure in spite of his limitations, even adapting his technique mid-match to give himself more options for strike rotation, and grind his way to a priceless half-century. Crawley is highly rated by the management, and rightly so after his epic 267 against Pakistan in the summer, but on the basis of the Sri Lanka showing, he's the likelier to have to make way.
Vacancy at No.3
Jonny Bairstow contributed a top score of 47 in four innings in Sri Lanka, but even in the absence of a statement innings, he exuded an air of calm and competence at first drop (except when running between the wickets) to contribute to a pair of century stands and give the firm impression that he's got over his hang-up about the wicketkeeper's role, and is ready to become the frontline Test batsman that he's always looked capable of being.
But no sooner is he back in the side for the first time in more than a year, Bairstow is out on his ear again. The reasoning behind his resting from the first two India Tests is sound - as a key member of England's T20 World Cup squad, he'll need to be fresh and firing for the eight limited-overs games looming in March. However, the timing is broadly terrible, with no obvious replacement likely to make a case between now and Friday.
There's Crawley, of course. He averages 69.50 in four Tests at three and four, compared to 22.00 as an opener, but the challenge of Chennai is far removed from the Ageas Bowl, and given England's issues further down the order, his presence might limit the scope for extra allrounders to balance the bowling attack. Ollie Pope is another contender, certainly in the long term - but he'll be feeling his way back after injury and has rarely batted higher than No. 4 in his first-class career. Joe Root seems pathologically opposed to No. 3 too, but in the circumstances, and given his own resplendent form, he might be the obvious contender.
One spinner or two?
Chennai is renowned as a spin-friendly surface - only Galle has delivered more ten-wicket hauls for spinners in its Test history. However, there is reportedly more grass than usual on the pitch at this stage of its preparation, which may yet sway England's thinking.
Despite their combined haul of 22 wickets in Sri Lanka, Jack Leach and Dom Bess struggled for long periods in both Tests, particularly when the pitch was at its flattest in the opening exchanges of the second match, and either or both could well make way for Moeen Ali - now recovered from his bout of Covid-19, and seemingly eager to make up for lost time after 18 months away from Test cricket.
As an offspinner (not to mention one of England's most natural players of spin bowling) Ali would likely be a straight swap for Bess, whose consistency with the ball left much to be desired, but whose fighting spirit could not be denied, least of all with the bat - a not-insignificant consideration, given how crucial his two-hour 32 proved to be in the second Test. Leach, notwithstanding his legendary status as a nightwatchman, is not quite as equipped for survival in these conditions.
Anderson and/or Broad
Ali's potential return also sharpens the debate about England's all-round options, which in turn may inform one of the most crucial decisions of the series. With Stokes due to slot back in at No. 5, and Chris Woakes also on hand to deepen the seam-bowling-allrounder department, it is possible that England could field an XI with sufficient balance and depth to allow both of their stand-out seamers to play without placing too great a burden on either.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson were simply magnificent in their alternating roles in Galle, proving incisive and restrictive in equal measure as they returned combined series figures of 57-27-80-9. After years of sniping about their lack of impact in unhelpful conditions, both men unfurled a full toolbox-worth of experience, chiselling their opportunities through a combination of stamina, consistency and subtle variation.
Theirs were lessons that Woakes in particular seems equipped to heed, judging by his impact on placid decks in New Zealand and South Africa last winter, while Jofra Archer's 90mph stylings have already been heavily informed by his impact at the IPL. As for Stokes, he is liable to hurtle in in whatever role is required of him. There is the potential for England to field a well-rounded attack, in spite of their lack of a nailed-on spin option.
The danger with such an approach, of course, lies in the intensity of the itinerary, and the likelihood that India's batsmen - fresh from their heroics in Australia, and reinforced by the return of Virat Kohli in particular - will make life significantly harder for England's bowlers than Sri Lanka ever managed. Playing Broad and Anderson as a pairing would be the attacking option, but if it failed in the first Test, it might prove difficult for England to defend for the rest of the series.