There is going to be a change in the openers for both India and England in the fourth Test in Mumbai, but a bigger problem will be the one the home team need to cope with following a late injury to their vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane. While India are expected to bring their first-choice opener back from injury, England will hope a debutant has the same impact as another one who made such an impression when he began this series.
Rahane has been ruled out of the rest of the series with a finger injury sustained in training, with Manish Pandey called in as cover for the batsman, who has found it difficult to score runs in the series so far.
In the opening department, Murali Vijay has had three different opening partners in three Tests so far, with Gautam Gambhir playing the first Test, before KL Rahul came back in for the second in Visakhapatnam. When Rahul was injured, though, it was wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel who partnered Vijay, who himself has been struggling with a back problem, at the top in Mohali.
Rahul was ruled out with a hand injury sustained while fielding close-in in the second Test match, but with the opener batting in the nets on Tuesday, captain Virat Kohli is confident the right-hander will take his place in the playing XI in Mumbai.
Anil Kumble, the India coach, also hinted at a return for the Karnataka man, which would have meant Karun Nair going back to the bench, after his debut Test innings ended in heartbreak when he was run out by the brilliance of Jos Buttler, only for the Rahane injury to allow the batsman a chance to stay in the team. Unless Kohli decides Pandey, yet to play a Test match, is the better option, Karun should keep his place in the lineup.
Parthiv Patel, who will play this match, with Wriddhiman Saha still recovering from the thigh strain that kept him out of the Mohali Test, will go back down the order with Rahul's inclusion, be that at No.6 or No.7, and the left-hander will want to make the same sort of contributions he managed while opening the innings.
Apart from these, Kohli and Kumble have one more team decision to make, with Mohammed Shami, who complained of soreness in his knee, a doubt.
Umesh Yadav then might have a new fast bowling partner, if Shami fails to recover in time. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the man who will get the nod, if Kohli decides playing Shami, only just coming off a serious knee injury, is too big a risk to take. Ishant Sharma was released from the squad on Tuesday with the fast bowler getting married later this week, with Shardul Thakur called in as cover.
England are expected to give Keaton Jennings his Test match debut, after the Durham opener was called up as the replacement for Haseeb Hameed, who played his first ever Test match in the series opener in Rajkot, with the latter out of with a broken finger.
Liam Dawson has also been named in the squad with Zafar Ansari struggling for fitness, but it remains to be seen if the all-rounder will get a place in the playing XI.
The wicket in Mumbai did not look overly dry, although spin has been predicted in the second half of the match. England might ponder playing the extra fast bowler and just go with the two spinners in Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, considering how little Gareth Batty was used by Alastair Cook in the 3rd Test.
There is still a big question mark on Stuart Broad's fitness -- Alastair Cook said he is 50-50 -- and even if the veteran bowler is not deemed to be ready to play in Mumbai, England might consider giving a game to Jake Ball or Steven Finn rather than go with Dawson.
Update: England won the toss and will bat.
Confirmed playing XI: India: Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Karun Nair, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav.
England: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Jake Ball, James Anderson.
