The two sides would be playing a long series involving 5 Test matches.
It's time for one of the most coveted series of the recent times. India and England, two of the dominant teams in the world in the longest format of the game, face each other in England. The English summer will witness Indian team take on the challenge of England. The series will also mark the return of test cricket after the final of the World Test Championship's inaugural cycle. As the action moves to the second cycle, the two big teams would be looking to get a good early start to their long campaign.
HOW THE TWO TEAMS STACK UP?
The two teams were preparing well for their upcoming series. The fact that both the teams got enough rest before the start of the series is a big advantage for the players of both the teams.
The Indian team practiced well in the nets and their fielding practice was going well. They also played a practice natch against the County Select XI which would've boosted the confidence of the visitors.
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England on the other hand, too have practiced well. Their premier players looked in good rhythm. Being the hosts, they would be facing a big challenge of defending the series against a strong Indian side.
Image Courtesy - Espn Cricinfo
LACKLUSTRE SERIES?
Though the series is exciting for the viewers of the game, the fact that many players from both the teams getting ruled out of the series is adding less flavour to the series.
The likes of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill and so on are set to miss the series or parts of it for one or the other reasons. England being the host would definitely miss the services of some of their premier players.
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HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
The two teams have a rich history of playing against each other. The two teams have faced each other in Tests for 126 times where England managed to win 48 of those matches while India could win 29 of them and 49 tests ended in a draw. It needs to be seen what would be the result this time around.
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PREVIOUS RESULTS
The two teams met each other earlier this year in India, where India clinched the series 3-1 after being 0-1 down. The series win also ensured a berth for the Indian team in the final of the inaugural season of the World Test Championship.
India toured England in 2018 for a 5-Test series. England thrashed India 4-1 to clinch the series. Though the matches were close, the results were in favour of England. India would be looking to give better results this time around.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT
Joe Root, the England captain, has been in a tremendous touch so far in the year. He's the rock of the English batting lineup and the most experienced batsman in the team as well. He'd be the key to England's success.
James Anderson, the old workhorse, would again be the key for England. He keeps getting better with age. His swing bowling suits the English conditions and in the absence of Jofra Archer, he'd be expected to deliver more.
Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, would be the key batsman for India. Though his current form isn't great, he had scored runs the last time India visited England. His experience would be the key and India would be expecting him to deliver.
Mohammed Shami, the ace bowler of India, would play an important role in the series. Though his numbers in England aren't great, he has good current form and has performed well in the WTC final. His seam bowling attributes make him even more dangerous.
SQUADS
India: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav
England: Joe Root (Capt), Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton
PROBABLE PLAYING XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
England: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (Capt), Dan Lawrence, Jos Buttler (WK), Ollie Robinson, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson
DREAM 11 PREDICTIONS
Ajinkya Rahane
Virat Kohli
Joe Root (Captain)
Rishabh Pant (WK)
Ollie Robinson
Sam Curran
Ravindra Jadeja
Stuart Broad
Mohammed Shami
James Anderson (Vice-Captain)
Jasprit Bumrah
WHEN WHERE AND HOW TO WATCH?
The venues for the series are Trent Bridge (Nottingham), Lord's (London), Headingley (Leeds), Kennington Oval (London) and Old Trafford (Manchester) respectively. All the matches will begin at 3:30pm (IST). The live streaming would be available on Sony Liv App and it will be televised on the Sony Sports Network.
