How quickly fortunes change in the game of cricket. Before the start of the five-match Test series against England, the Indian cricket team had a problem of plenty. 'All-star' batting line-up, world-class spinners and a promising pace battery. Two matches into the series, the visitors are struggling to string together a competitive XI.

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Such has been the performance of the Virat Kohli-led side so far, that in-form England keeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow on Wednesday was forced to reflect on the possibility of a five-nil series sweep for the hosts. Although he reckoned it's too early to think on those lines, there are many who reckon it's a real possibility.

A major reason for India's dismal showing in the first two matches was inaccurate team selection. Captain Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri have faced much heat over the past week for their puzzling approach towards picking the best XI. Going into the third Test, all eyes will be on the men that take the field for the beleaguered visitors.

 

In the first game, when the wicket was dry, India went in with just the one spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin. In the next game, when the conditions were predominantly overcast, they added Kuldeep Yadav in the team. Even Shikhar Dhawan's exclusion, after being one of the few batsmen who managed to get a start in the first game, seemed a a knee-jerk reaction. The left-hander's replacement in the team was Cheteshwar Pujara. The experienced right-hander didn't get many runs, but he did manage to spend some time in the middle under hostile conditions.

Now, as India look to zero in on their best XI for the third Test in Nottingham that starts on Saturday, skipper Kohli has dropped a hint of sorts with regards to team selection.

 

Kohli posted a picture of himself on his official Twitter account late on Thursday. In the image, the talismanic leader is seen standing next to Pujara during a Team India practice session at Trent Bridge. Both batsmen are padded up and look determined to make the most of their training stint.

The caption in Kohli's post read: "Great day at training today. Looking forward to the next game."

 

Here's his tweet

On Wednesday, Kohli was himself seen giving throw-downs to Pujara during the net session. One can't say for sure if this picture shared by him implies that Pujara will retain his place in the third Test. Either way, India have no margin for error in terms of team selection for the remainder of this series.