India vs England 2024: 1st Test Match Preview

England have revolutionised Test cricket. Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum aren’t those who go defensive during a tough phase as they love to challenge themselves in difficult circumstances and more often than not, they have emerged victorious. One such example can be drawn from The Ashes 2023. The Three Lions were down but far from out. They lost the first couple of Tests and were expected to be humiliated by the world champions, but the Ben Stokes-led side made an emphatic return to shut up their critics.

Up next, there is another tough challenge in front of them as they embark on a five-match Test series against India. Many former Indian cricketers have been vocal about the Bazball approach and opined that it won’t work in the spin-friendly conditions of India. Will that work as an inspiration for England? Very likely. They are not going to back out, as they haven't under Stokes.

That has been England’s attitude and that is a massive change as far as Test cricket is considered. However, keeping attitude and approach aside, can England put India in trouble? It’s difficult. The hosts haven’t lost a single Test series in the subcontinent in more than a decade. Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley are good options but neither have experience.

With the bat, Joe Root and Ben Stokes will be key. Playing Bazball in the turning pitches may prove to be difficult but England are unlikely to change their mindset. Jonny Bairstow, Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett will be gunning to prove their worth in difficult circumstances, while the team will miss the service of Harry Brook, who has been fantastic in the longest format.

India, meanwhile, can’t afford to relax. Even though majority of the batters have staggering numbers while playing in India, their form is slightly concerning as youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill haven’t been at their best in the recent past. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli will miss the first couple of matches of the five-match series due to personal reasons, which will help KL Rahul to seal his place in the playing XI.

KS Bharat is expected to keep wickets, while India are likely to play three spinners. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja pick for themselves, while Axar Patel is set to be the third choice, with Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah as the pace options.

The series holds a lot of value for the Rohit Sharma-led side in terms of World Test Championship standings as well, as they dropped points against West Indies and suffered a defeat at the hands of South Africa recently. Even though India are the favourites, cricket is an unpredictable game and England are an unpredictable team.

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Pitch Report

The surface will heavily assist the spinners, and it won’t be surprising if the ball starts turning from Day 1. Batting first will be a wise decision, as chasing in the fourth innings might prove to be an extremely difficult task. 

IND vs ENG Probable Playing XI

India

KL Rahul will bat at number four in place of Virat Kohli, while KS Bharat is expected to keep the wickets. 

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England:

England have named three spinners for the first Test in Hyderabad. Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley will partner alongside Jack Leach to form a formidable attack. Mark Wood will be the lone pacer in the playing XI as James Anderson will have to wait for his opportunity in the series.

Predicted XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Mark Wood, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach

IND vs ENG Tests Head-to-Head Records: