In the opening match of the Test series between India and England, the Indian team, having concluded the Test series against South Africa with a 1-1 draw, faces the challenge without their leading batsman, Virat Kohli. Stepping into Kohli’s shoes is Rajat Patidar, who secures a place in the team for this crucial encounter.
The England squad, led by Ben Stokes, boasts experienced players like James Anderson, Joe Root, and Jonny Bairstow, setting the stage for a competitive series. Over the past five years, these two cricketing powerhouses have engaged in nine Test matches, with India clinching victory in five encounters, while England emerged victorious in three.
As the teams gear up for a challenging five-match Test series, fans anticipate a closely contested battle. The weather forecast for the match indicates slightly cloudy skies with no rain expected, and the temperature is anticipated to hover around 26 degrees Celsius.
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The pitch has historically seen an average score of 237 runs. In the last five matches at this venue, fast bowlers have claimed 100 wickets out of 157, while spin bowlers have accounted for 57 wickets, suggesting a balanced contest between bat and ball.
India
In the absence of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul is poised to fill the middle-order void, with additional selection decisions adding intrigue to the mix. The wicketkeeper’s role is a contested position between KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel, with Bharat holding a potential edge due to his experience and recent ton against England Lions for India A.
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The third spinner’s position appears more straightforward, with Axar Patel’s all-round skills making him a likely choice, despite competition from Kuldeep Yadav and his enhanced skill set.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
England
England have named two relatively young spinners who have a combined experience of 1 Test between them. While the attack wears thin on experience, England would well look towards Australia who fared decently with a similar composition on their tour of India in 2023. The lone pacer in Mark Wood offers them some firepower with the ball particularly if he manages to extract some reverse swing. However, all eyes are bound to be on how their batters fare with their approach in India.
Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, (c) Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed, Mark Wood, Jack Leach
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Jonny Bairstow, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Jasprit Bumrah
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Jonny Bairstow, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Ben Stokes, Shreyas Iyer, Zak Crawley, Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Joe Root, Axar Patel, Rehan Ahmed
