Plenty of nervous eyes watch the four-match series between India and England, with World Test Championship fares three teams hanging in the balance.
Overview
India vs. England, 1st Test
Chidambaram, Chennai
Friday, February 5 to Tuesday, February 9, 2021, 9:30 am local time.
Both India and England enter this series with ample reason to be confident.
It is almost four years since India lost their last test match at home and more than eight since they lost a host series. That series loss was, coincidentally, against England in late 2012 with 21-year-old Joe Root making his first test.
Since then, India have overtaken any touring opponent, winning a staggering 28 of the 34 games they have played at home in that time, suffering the singles loss against Australia. . None of the other guests had been so disciplined at this time, although Pakistan has won three of their four Tests in Pakistan since then.
Alastair Cook and MS Dhoni were the two captains the last time India lost a test series at home.
If that dominant home record was not already a reason enough for India to be high on confidence, they will enter this campaign after one of the most impressive series any team has won anywhere bith.
Beaten for 36 at Adelaide Oval before losing Virat Kohli (father’s leave), Mohammed Shami (arm), Umesh Yadav (calf), KL Rahul (wrist), Ravindra Jadeja (thumb), Hanuma Vihari (hamstring) , Ravichandran Ashwin (back) and Jasprit Bumrah (abdominal) over the series, India somehow, still beat Australia 2-1.
Kohli, Ashwin, Bumrah and Rahul are all back in the squad for this campaign. So are Ishant Sharma and Hardik Pandya, who weren’t fit enough for the Test series in Australia.
India are celebrating their 2-1 win over Australia
Nevertheless, England enter the league with every reason to be optimistic after beating Sri Lanka 2-0.
They have won all five of their last Tests in Asia – all against Sri Lanka – and have yet to get a taste of the continent under Root ‘s tutelage.
It is encouraging for England that while Root has been at the heart of that run, donations have been all over the record.
Left-arm spinner Jack Leach has 28 wickets at 26.42 in that time in Asia, while Dom Bess made a big impact in the recent 2-0 win over Sri Lanka, taking 12 at 21.25.
In dire straits for England, James Anderson took 6/40 in his singles test in Sri Lanka last month. Anderson played a key role when England won in India in 2012, playing the foil for the spinners with the best set of any speed (12 at 30.25).
On paper, England look as good as any team since 2012 to beat India in India.
England beat Sri Lanka 2-0.
Fixtures (all time local)
The first test: February 5 to February 9, 9:30 am at Chidambaram, Chennai
Second test: February 13 to February 17, 9:30 am at Chidambaram, Chennai
The third test: February 24 to February 28, 2:30 pm at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Fourth test: March 4 to March 8, 9:30 am at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Watch out for
Virat Kohli: Returning to action after his father’s leave, the Indian captain will be out to leave his mark on this series.
Since becoming captain, Kohli has averaged 77.11 in India and England have no happy memories against him. The right-wing player has marked four hundred over his last two series against England, including a double trip the last time they visited India.
Joe Root: Just 30 years old, Root will play his 100th Take a test this week and it’s on a form to make it memorable.
The England captain averaged 106.50 in the Sri Lanka league and is generally favored in Asia, where he averages 54.13.
Surprisingly, after the opening of the series, Root will have played his first, 50th and 100th Tests across India.
Joe Root and Virat Kohli are shaping up to be the main men of this series.
Squads
India – First two tests
Virat Kohli (c), Mayan Agarwal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Sunmadar , Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
England – First two exams
Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes