1st Test: Three England Players India Should Worry About at Rajkot

Top-ranked India will look to settle old scores by unleashing their spinners on a fragile-looking England when the first Test of a five-match series begins in Rajkot on Wednesday.

England were the last team to win a Test series on Indian soil when they came from behind to triumph 2-1 in 2012, but India are currently enjoying an impressive run.

Virat Kohli is yet to lose a series as India's skipper. In fact, the 28-year-old has been on the losing side on just one occasion after taking the leadership mantle from MS Dhoni.

If India and Kohli are to preserve that record, they need to contain three England player in particular at Rajkot.

Alastair Cook

If England's skipper can repeat the form he displayed in India four years ago, then the tourists could well emulate that triumph. Cook scored 562 runs, including three centuries, as he led England to their first series win in India for 28 years. Despite having become England's most capped player, Cook is still only 31 and well placed to overhaul Sachin Tendulkar as Test cricket's highest run-scorer. After becoming a father again, Cook recently hinted he was finding time away from home a wrench. But he can enjoy an extended break afterwards as he no longer plays ODIs. And the heat of India shouldn't be a problem for someone who never sweats.

Ben Stokes

Stokes was a picture of despair in his last appearance in India after being hit for four sixes in a row in England's defeat in the World T20 final against the West Indies. It was a rare blip in an outstanding year for an all-rounder tipped by his coach Trevor Bayliss to become an all-time great. His match-winning innings in last month's first Test in Bangladesh showed his improvement against spin and he was also England's leading wicket-taker. But a player who once broke his wrist when punching a locker needs to keep his cool on a tour likely to contain plenty of frustrations. Burnout could also be a danger if he plays all five Tests.

Moeen Ali

Once seen as a batsman who turned his arm occasionally, Ali is now England's premier spinner and his performance on India's turning tracks could determine his team's chances. He caught observers by surprise in his breakthrough summer of 2014 by taking 19 Indian wickets but struggled to repeat that success and only kept his place at times because of his batting. After taking 5-57 in the second Bangladesh Test, Ali said he was maturing as a bowler but still "nowhere near where I want to be as a spinner". His batting has suffered from being shunted around the order, but two centuries in the last English summer underlined his class.