India host England for a Test series after three years
It has been almost three years since England toured India for a Test series. The two teams played a four-match Test series in February-March 2021 in which India having lost the first Test bounced back to win the series 3-1.
While India is fresh from playing Test cricket against South Africa having featured in two matches in the last one month, England played their last Test in July 2023.
Before the players from both teams set out to play slam bang cricket in the IPL, they will take the ‘Test’. The first Test between India and England will be played from January 25 to 29 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad
Head-to-Head
India and England have played 131 Tests against each other, of which India have won 31 and England have won 50. In India, of the 64 Tests played, India have won 22 and England have won 14. The last five Tests have seen both teams winning two matches apiece.
| India | England | |
| ICC Test Rankings | 2 | 3 |
| Head-to-Head | 31 | 50 |
| In India | 22 | 14 |
| Last 5 Tests | 2 | 2 |
Squads
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Srikar Bharat (wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel
*Virat Kohli is not available for first two Tests
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes (wicket-keeper), Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Daniel Lawrence, Gus Atkinson, Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed
Players to watch out for
Jasprit Bumrah: This India’s right arm pace sensation was the highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded two-match Test series against South Africa. He snapped 12 wickets in 48.3 overs. Overall, he has 140 Test wickets to his name in 32 matches, including nine five-wicket hauls.
Rohit Sharma: In the absence of Virat Kohli for the first two Tests, India’s captain will have to shoulder the batting responsibility of the team. He will have to bat long and put a price tag on his wicket. This right-handed opening batter has scored 3737 runs in 54 Tests, including 10 centuries and 16 half-centuries.
Joe Root: This right-handed batter of England is the leading run scorer in the team with 11416 Test runs in 135 matches. He has smashed 30 centuries and 60 half-centuries in his prolific career. He will be the backbone of England’s batting. Besides his batting, he can offer services with the ball, bowling off spin. He has 60 wickets under his belt.
Ben Stokes: He is an aggressive left-handed middle-order batter of England and also the captain of the team. In his 97 Tests, he has muscled 6117 runs, including 13 centuries and 50 half-centuries. He is a genuine all-rounder, who can bowl at a good pace. If he is fit, he will bowl the tough overs for his team. He has 197 Test wickets.
Pitch
The venue has hosted five Tests to date, of which four have produced results. India have featured in all five Tests and won four. The conditions here have favoured the spinners as four out of the five top wicket-takers are spinners. The highest first innings score is 687 and the lowest is 237.
Weather
The weather is expected to see hazy sun. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 31 degrees Celsius. There will be 29% cloud cover and 2% chance of rain. The wind will blow from the east.
Milestone Alert
KL Rahul will play his 50th Test match
Ben Stokes needs 3 wickets to complete 200 Test wickets
Match details
Date: January 25 – 29, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
Live streaming: Jio Cinema