Indian selection for the five-match Test series against England, which begins on August 1, is going to give selectors and management an almighty headache.

If combinations were difficult to finalise before the nearly three-month long tour of Ireland and England started, it’s only become tougher two weeks before the opening Test.

The Indian selectors have decided to announce the squad at the last possible moment, either on Sunday or Monday, as they wanted to see if anyone impressed or disappointed enough to warrant a change of plans during the limited-overs clashes with England so far. Let’s not forget there is the India A team as well that has played alongside their senior team in one-day and four-day matches.

Having said that, there were a few certainties when it came to the hierarchy in team. In typically English weather, most pack their team with seamers and have one quality spinner in the side for the second innings.

But this time two factors have changed their conversation in the Indian set-up. Firstly, an uncharacteristically dry spell has meant pitches in England this time of the year are particularly dry with groundsmen struggling to provide adequate swing and bounce.

If the situation persists, the whole one-spinner, rest seamers formula can be revisited by the Indian management.

The second factor that has become the elephant in the room is left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. England have failed to pick the 23-year-old, it’s as simple as that. Also, a majority of his dismissals have been of the Test variety – beaten in the air and stumped, bowled or lbw neck and crop.

Also, captain Virat Kohli has stated that both Kuldeep and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal can be selected for the Test series. Which is not the best idea because playing spinners in white ball cricket, when batsmen don’t have the option of playing out one spell after the other, and facing them in Tests where patience and consistency are key are two different ball games. But hey, this is Kohli’s India and anything is possible. At the beginning of the year, the Indians had inducted white ball specialist Jasprit Bumrah in the Test team for the South Africa series after being impressed with the way he bowled in the nets.

So, there is every chance Kuldeep and/or Chahal will get selected. If that happens, what happens to Ravi Ashwin and more importantly Ravindra Jadeja? These two spinners have been instrumental in helping India remain as the No.1 Test team in the world. And while they haven’t won Test series in major nations outside the subcontinent, 319 wickets for Ashwin and Jadeja’s 171 scalps can’t be simply brushed aside.

Having said that, if India decide to go with two spinners, Jadeja is most likely to miss out as Kuldeep has to be in the playing XI going by the tone of Kohli’s statement. If the Indians go with one spinner in the eleven, then does the record breaking 300-wicket taker Ashwin – who also has four Test tons – miss out?

Kohli has never gone in with the same playing XI in successive Test matches. While some decisions have been forced upon him due to injuries, others have been his call. So expect the Indian management to select one or both of Kuldeep and Chahal for the Test series and also the spin hierarchy of Indian cricket to get shuffled this English summer.