India vs England Test Series Preview

India’s five-match Test series against England gets underway on the 4th of August at Trent Bridge and is set to be an incredible contest between two of the top nations in world cricket. India lost 4-1 the last time they toured these shores in 2018, but the difference between the two sides was much closer than that scoreline suggests, and given their recent away record the Men in Blue will be confident of winning their first series in England since 2007.

India come into this series with the squad having been in the country for over two months because of the ICC World Test Championship Final in June, providing Virat Kohli’s side with the perfect preparation for this series and giving them the perfect chance to follow up their Test win in Australia with a victory in England.

Players to watch out for

James Anderson continues to age like a fine wine and is arguably still at the peak of his powers at age 39, averaging 22 in Tests in 2021 with an economy of 2.17. Anderson has taken more wickets against India than any other country in Test cricket and who wins the battle between him and Virat Kohli could decide the fate of this series. 

Rishabh Pant made his Test debut in England in 2018 and announced his arrival on the world stage with a scintillating century at the Oval. Since then, Pant has cemented himself as a fixture in the Indian middle order and is currently the 4th highest run-scorer in Tests in 2021. Since his debut, Pant has had the second-highest strike rate in Test cricket and the wicket-keeper batsman could be the x-factor for Virat Kohli’s side in this series who could take the game away from England in one session.

Team News

The big news ahead of the series is the absence of Ben Stokes for England after the all-rounder opted to take an indefinite break from the game to focus on his mental health. England’s batting and bowling depth will suffer without their vice-captain, and Joe Root’s side will also be without Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone due to injuries.

For India, the biggest concern ahead of the Test series is who will open alongside Rohit Sharma. Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the series following a stress fracture in his shin, while Mayank Agarwal is ineligible to play the 1st test after suffering a concussion in the nets after being struck on the helmet.

With Prithvi Shaw still in quarantine following his trip from Sri Lanka, KL Rahul – who was initially in the squad as a backup middle-order batter – is likely to be given another chance at the top of the order for India.

Probable XI:

England: Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James AndersonIndia: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah