Hosts India take on England as Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat first in their first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad on January 25, Thursday.
India skipper Rohit Sharma played a combination of three spinners and two pacers in the opening Test against England. However, he dropped Kuldeep Yadav to accomodate Axar Patel in India's playing XI.
After losing the toss captain Rohit said," We would have batted as well. Looks dry. Whether we bowl or bat first, we have the skills and we got the guys to do the job. A good series, I am playing for the first time a five-match series. We have played in these conditions before. We know what to do, it's all about executing your skills. We've got three spinners and two seamers - Bumrah, Siraj, Axar, Jadeja and Ashwin. It was a tough one (to leave out Kuldeep Yadav) Axar has done well and bats really well in these conditions. Probably the reason we went with Axar."
Meanwhile, England skipper Ben Stokes, after the toss, said, “We are gonna have a bat. It's typical conditions in India. The preparation has been really good. We know the challenge, India is a successful side. We have Hartley making his debut, Rehan has played only one side, but they have a good leader in Leach. Woody is that X-factor bowler.”
India's Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
England's Playing XI: 1. Zak Crawley, 2. Ben Duckett, 3. Ollie Pope, 4. Joe Root, 5. Jonny Bairstow, 6. Ben Stokes (captain), 7. Ben Foakes, 8. Rehan Ahmed, 9. Tom Hartley, 10. Mark Wood, 11. Jack Leach
IND vs ENG: Head-to-Head in Tests
Matches played: 131
India wins: 31
Drawn: 50
England wins: 50
Latest result: ENG beat IND by 7 wickets - Birmingham 2022
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Pakistan-origin Shoaib Bashir granted visa amidst controversy, to be available for selection for next Test
Why English media should refrain from making a mountain out of a molehill over Shoaib Bashir's visa which wasn't exactly delayed
'He is a tempting option': Who'll make the cut in India's playing XI between Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel, Rohit Sharma drops big hint
PCB announces Pakistan's Supreme Court advocate as interim chairman after Zaka Ashraf's sacking
