Picking England's team for the India Tests

With Michael Vaughan out of the India tour, Vic Marks writes in the Observer that the England selectors' task of picking the fifteen is more straightforward. He thinks Matt Prior will be the first-choice wicketkeeper and Graeme Swann the second spinner.

The trickiest decision will be which of the young(ish) batsmen to take. Owais Shah played his best Test innings in Mumbai three years ago. Ravi Bopara has the class for international cricket and, making a late run, is Samit Patel. Soon we may be able to celebrate five cricketers of Asian origin in the same England team.

And Scyld Berry writing in the Sunday Telegraph says that with only one warm-up match before the Tests, the selection will be weighted towards players who are in India for the one-dayers. He wants James Foster and Matt Prior to be the two wicketkeepers making the trip.