Chennai, February 4: Team India will begin its international cricket season at home with a four-Test series against England, with the first Test set to start Friday (February 5) at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

The first two Tests will be held at the iconic Chepauk Stadium. As the Chennai pitch traditionally favours the spinners there's no doubt the tweakers are going to play a vital role in the result of the game.

There are reports coming in that the Indian team management is mulling to field three spinners in the series opener on Friday and they have plenty of options at their disposal but that also makes their job tad difficult.

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Selection dilemma

Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are part of the 18-member Test squad for the Chennai Tests. With R Ashwin set to lead the spin attack head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun would be in a dilemma about the other two tweakers.

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Kuldeep Yadav or Washington Sundar?

Kuldeep Yadav has been warming up the benches for quite some time and has performed decently whenever he's been a part of the red-ball side. The chinaman didn't get to play a single match in Australia even as he was head in the pecking order as compared to young Washington Sundar - who made his debut in Brisbane. Sundar was given preference at the Gabba due to his batting abilities and the Tamil Nadu cricketer justified with a gritty half-century in his maiden Test inning.

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But in India, the scenario changes with Virat Kohli back in the side and all-rounder Hardik Pandya also set to make his Test comeback. If Hardik plays as a fast-bowling all-rounder then India might go with two other pacers, Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah/Mohammed Siraj. In such a situation, India might go only with Ashwin, and it will be a tough fight between Kuldeep and Sundar for the second spinner's spot.

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If Pandya isn't yet fit for bowling then captain Kohli might contemplate at the option of playing three spinners. With Ashwin a certainty, Kuldeep and Sundar could be the other two spinners the skipper would like to include in the playing XI, considering the variations they bring to the table.

Axar Patel also throws in his hat

Chances of Axar - who has been doing well in the Ranji Trophy and India A tours - making it to the playing eleven might be bleak. But the Gujarat all-rounder could be seen as a spin-bowling replacement to Ravindra Jadeja for he's also a sound batsman and a brilliant fielder and that would give the team management another selection headache, albeit a good one.