ENG vs IND 2018, First Test - Toss Report

England won the toss and decided to bat first against India in the first of the five Tests at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Here is what the captains said-

Virat Kohli – We were thinking to bowl first. The conditions are overcast, we want to make the most of it. There’s always excitement and anticipation, it’s a long series and we are well prepared. We are comfortable with our skill-sets. I think we have the bowlers for this pitch, we need to focus on our skills, need to play positively and get the results. Pujara has been left out, KL Rahul will bat at three. Three pace bowlers, Hardik as the all-rounder and Ashwin is the lone spinner.

Joe Root – We will bat first. It looks a good surface, a bit of cloud cover, there’s some moisture which should burn off, looks good to bat. We are ready for this series, the preparations have been good, it’s time to deliver now. We are filled with confidence, but this is a new game for the players. The selectors gave us plenty of options for this surface and I am happy with the personnel we have.

Preview:

The wait is finally over. England and India – two of the greatest Test rivals in the history of the game – are all set to resume their rivalry in whites after a revetting limited-overs series. India had come out on top in the T20Is, winning it 2-1 before England turned the tables in ODIs with the same margin.

It all boils down to the five-match Test series now. That the series is going to be a thrilling one is pretty much clear. While current form suggests India would be the favourites, history puts England on the front foot. India have won nine of their last ten Test series. On the other hand, England have lost their last three Test series. However, England would take heart from India’s recent form in England. The visitors lost 4-0 in 2011 before going down 3-1 in 2014.

With very little to choose from both the teams, the series could well turn out to be another classic between the two heavyweights.

Playing elevens:

England-

Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root(c), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow(w), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

India-

Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma