India and England are ready to battle it out in the first Test at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. The home side won the toss and elected to bat first. England and India both are playing with only one spinner and that gives us a hint about the condition of the pitch.
India has dropped their Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara from playing XI and replaced him with KL Rahul.
While many think it's a bad move by the Indian team management, some are happy with the decision as Pujara wasn't playing as per expectations in overseas.
It will be a real test of Virat Kohli-led side who have been the no. 1 Test team in the world since October 2016. The only Test series they have lost since then is against South Africa earlier this year. They lost the series 2-1 but they had shown fightback in the last Test.
India will be hoping to give England a taste of their own medicine and snatch the victory in the first Test at Edgbaston.
Twitter reacted to the news and most of them are satisfied with the change made by team India.
Here is the reaction of Twitter after India's playing XI for first Test:
Frankly, Pujara's form even in county cricket was very mediocre so his being dropped not such a surprise. But Dhawan surely on notice!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) August 1, 2018
My two cents: Pujara has only himself to blame. Hasn't done anything of note overseas. Failed in county cricket. That doesn't make Dhawan great, we shall see.
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) August 1, 2018
Cheteswar pujara right now. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/jmXhDDTMTk
— Bade Chote (@badechote) August 1, 2018
Kuldeep: oh, really thought i was in
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) August 1, 2018
Pujara: at least Dhawan didn't keep you out#EngvInd
In the last decade, Cheteshwar Pujara plays the fewest false shots (edges or misses) of any Test batsman barring his captain. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/pgRcz9deTh
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) August 1, 2018
How the hell someone can drop a player like #Pujara and after his successful stint in county matches ??? #ENGvIND
— Aadi Sharma (@aadisharma1900) August 1, 2018
That's a big call, leaving out Pujara. Rahul playing is the right decision though, but could he have opened? #INDvENG
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) August 1, 2018
Yes, Pujara isn't as good a batter as Dhawan in English conditions #EngvInd pic.twitter.com/R6c1jgKAXI
— Amol Karhadkar (@karhacter) August 1, 2018
Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 172 runs at 14.33 so far in the 2018 English first-class season and that's not going to change this week. #EngvInd
— Rick Eyre on cricket (@rickeyrecricket) August 1, 2018
No Pujara is a decision based on white ball cricket. How much will it cost India? We shall see as the Test progresses. Batting out time is important, scoring runs is not the only way to go ahead in Tests. Anyway, is that the end of Che?
— Nikhil ???? (@CricCrazyNIKS) August 1, 2018
Breaking news: Cheteshwar Pujara treated like a Rohingya in Team India for first Test. #ENGvIND
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) August 1, 2018
Brilliant from Kohli. If there was any captain who could have dared to leave Pujara out, it was him and he did it. Message sent to everyone - Perform or warm the bench. I don't care about your reputation.
— Abhishek (@Sajjanlaunda) August 1, 2018