India’s cricket team is about to face England in a tough match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad, starting on January 25th. This will be a big challenge for England, who have been playing an attacking style called “Bazball.” India is very strong at home and hasn’t lost a Test series there since 2012. England was actually the last team to win a Test series in India, back when Alastair Cook was captain.
Many people think England might give India a good fight this time, especially because Virat Kohli, a key player in India’s middle order, won’t be playing the first two matches for personal reasons. The Indian cricket board has asked everyone to respect his privacy.
So, who will replace Virat Kohli? India has a few good options. Shreyas Iyer, who’s great against spin bowling, could be a good choice. KL Rahul might also be an option, depending on the conditions and how the match goes.
Who Will Bowl for India?
England made a bold choice by picking three spinners for their bowling team. They left out their experienced fast bowler James Anderson and went with Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed, and Tom Hartley.
India could copy England and play three spinners too, but that would be a risky move. Their fast bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Jasprit Bumrah, were fantastic in the last Test against South Africa.
If India decides to play two fast bowlers, they have to choose between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as the second spinner. Captain Rohit Sharma said Kuldeep is a great option, but Axar adds more batting depth if the top order struggles.
All Eyes on Ashwin as India Takes on England!
India’s star spinner, R Ashwin, is in the spotlight for this Test match against England at home. He’s only 10 wickets away from a huge milestone – 500 Test wickets! Fans are hoping he might even reach it in this very first game.
Ashwin and Australian spinner Nathan Lyon are both racing to hit 500 wickets. Lyon got there first, but Ashwin has a chance to do it in even fewer matches, which would be amazing.
Here’s who India and England are expected to play:
India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav (second spinner), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach
Will Ashwin reach his 500 wickets? Will England put up a good fight? We’ll have to wait and see!