The stage is set for the most anticipated series of the year, England vs India 2018.
If we take a look at the ICC Test Rankings, it is going to be battle between the first rank team against the fifth-placed side. However, sometimes the numbers don’t tell you the complete story. Therefore, Sportzwiki brings the Match Preview for the first Test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Yes, England will be playing at their home conditions. Therefore, there is no denying the fact that the hosts will start the series as red hot favourites.
England and India will like to take the first right step in the five-match series. Thus, both will like to land their first punch on target and draw first blood.
India’s Pace-Battery – A promise to look forward to.
However, if there is one Indian team in the last decade that has shown the promise to do well in alienate conditions, it is Virat Kohli’s men. In fact, India’s fast bowling which has been the team’s, Achilles Heel, has shown they are worth putting your money on.
The team India had scalped all the sixty wickets on the South African tour, which was the biggest positive for the tourists. However, they are going to miss the services of their linchpins in Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In fact, Kumar is a significant loss for the Indian team, as he can swing it both ways. Thus, the team management would have to pay the price of unnecessarily playing him in the ODI decider.
Therefore, it can be a chink in the armour for the visitors.
Subsequently, they also received the praise from opposition most experienced batsman as well as their former skipper. Alastair Cook at the pre-match conference.
“They seem to have got a good variety of bowlers – pace bowlers, which is probably unusual, and strength in depth in their pace bowling.”
England will like to hit back hard.
On the other hand, England will like to take revenge for their 4-0 defeat of the 2016 series. They have some in-form batsman, and they would like them to deliver the goods.
The onus will be on veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Both these experienced campaigners have troubled the Indian batters, and they would like to continue with the damaging work. Therefore, Indian batters will like to stay awake when these two will be at the bowling crease.
England skipper Joe Root is in good form. Root is going to be ROOT of the England batting line-up. The right-hander will like to get rid of his habit of scoring fifties.
In fact, England’s captain will like to make a daddy score, especially after getting his eye in. Furthermore, England will become the first team to play the 1000th Test match, and the hosts would like to make it a memorable one.
Will Virat Kohli finally achieve success in England?- Well, he certainly can.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is going to be the cynosure of all eyes. The Indian skipper had conquered Australia and South Africa. Therefore, he would aim to get England under his belt.
In fact, Virat Kohli already has an impressive cricket CV, especially in the limited-overs format. Consequently, he will like to add an impressive England tour on his resume and tick that blank box.
Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara role is paramount.
However, Indian batsmen must understand that Virat Kohli cannot be the lone warrior like he was on South Africa’s tour. Ergo, other batters need to chip in their contribution.
Murali Vijay must leave more deliveries, and Cheteshwar Pujara must get himself into a shell. Furthermore, India’s think tank must field the best XI on the ground, which they failed to do on the Proteas tour.
Question carrying the Maximum Marks for Indian team management? – Who should be Murali Vijay’s opening partner – KL Rahul or Shikhar Dhawan.
Indian team management must be scratching their heads when they would be discussing that who should be Murali Vijay’s opening partner.
Thus, the opening pair discussion would have been underlined in the team’s meeting. However, as far as the most cricket pundits are concerned, it should be KL Rahul.
Adil Rashid inclusion had already created enough Chatter- Will he let his bowling figures do the talking for him?
Moreover, it would be interesting to note the playing XI of both teams. The conditions are dry at Edgbaston, and thus the spinners would be licking their lips.
Consequently, England might include Adil Rashid, whose inclusion has raised many eyebrows. However, it will be an opportunity for the leg-spinner, who has done a great job in the white-ball version, to let his bowling do all the talking for him.
Therefore, his performance will answer critics – whether his inclusion was a RASH decision or not?
Another weighted question for India’s think tank – Kuldeep Yadav In or Out?
One more spinner in the opposition camp will like to see his name in the playing XI, and that is Kuldeep Yadav. He had troubled the English batters and with conditions to be hot and humid, there could be a chance for the mystery chinaman spinner.
However, that would mean India will have to go with two seamers, which is also uncertain. Therefore, it leaves Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion in a 50-50 situation.
England’s batting.
For England, their batting can be vulnerable at times. In fact, it was seen in the series against Pakistan, that they could skittle out cheaply.
However, one should also note that Pakistan bowlers were also right on the money. Therefore, Indian pace-battery will like to get their deliveries into the corridor of uncertainty and ask difficult questions from English batters.
Date and Time: 1 August 2018, 3:30 PM IST.
Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Weather Conditions: The temperature for the England vs India 2018 game is going to stay 22-degree Celsius. In fact, it is going to be partly cloudy which can make the new ball talk.
Pitch Conditions: It is one of the hottest summers in England. Therefore, the spinners can come into action. On the other hand, batsmen will like to take their time at the crease. Subsequently, the first Test match is expected to have all the ingredients for it to be the perfect start for the long five-game series.
England’s XI: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root(c), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
India’s Predicted XI: Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteswar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravi Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
Form Guide:
Last Five Test matches:
England: WLLDL
India: WLLWW
Stats which can be achieved in the first Test match between England vs India 2018 at Edgbaston, Birmingham –
- Ben Stokes is two wickets shy of 100 Test wickets. If Stokes gets there, he will join the elite list of completing 2000 Test runs and 100 scalps.
- Jos Buttler has scored 945 Test runs. When Buttler adds another 55 runs to his red-ball career, he will become the second England player to score 1000 runs in all the three formats.
- Ajinkya Rahane has scored 2893 runs in Tests. Therefore, the Indian deputy is 107 away from the 3000-run landmark.
- Murali Vijay is 93 short of 4000 runs milestone, as he has scored 3907. He will become the 16th Indian player to do so.
- Stuart Broad needs another 24 runs to complete 3000 Test runs. The lanky fast bowler will become the 9th player to score 3000 Test runs as well as take more than 300 scalps in the red-ball cricket.
- Joe Root needs another 40 runs to complete 6000 Test runs. If England skipper continues the love-affair of scoring fifties, he should reach the personal milestone.