India will kick off its resumption of international cricket at home as it faces England in a series of 4 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 5 T20Is with the 4-Test Anthony de Mello Trophy. The first two Tests of the series will be played in Chennai, while the next two matches will be held in Ahmedabad.
The first Test will begin at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from February 5 onwards.
England is coming off a 2-0 Test series clean sweep over Sri Lanka in their own backyard, while India defeated Australia 2-1 in Australia and won the Test series for the second straight time. This is an important Test series for both teams as the winner of this series might play New Zealand in the final of the ICC World Test Championship in Lord’s.
Therefore, Team COC presents the Predicted Playing XI for Team India for the first Test in Chennai.
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The combination of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill had impressed one and all in the Sydney and Brisbane Test matches. Sharma hit a brilliant half-century in Sydney and an attacking 44 in the first innings of the Brisbane Test match. He is experienced and is deadly at home, where he was on a roll in 2019.
Shubman Gill had an excellent Test debut in Australia with two half-centuries and a potentially match-winning 91 in Brisbane, as India chased down 328 to win the Test and the series down under. At home, he will have things a bit easy, but his ability to play spin will be tested in Chepauk, a spin-friendly track.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will be joined by Virat Kohli and their collective form has been too good. India may have lost the Adelaide Test after a horror collapse in the second innings, but Kohli had made a brilliant 70-odd in the first innings.
Pujara and Rahane then carried the Indian batting in Kohli’s absence and helped India win the Test series 2-1 in Australia.
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As for the wicketkeeper goes, India might value Rishabh Pant’s batting over Wriddhiman Saha’s keeping skills, even at a place like Chennai, where the ball turns sharply enough to have a good pair of gloves behind the stumps. But Pant’s incredible ability to put pressure on opposition bowling outweighs the fact that he is improving with gloves.
R Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah will be part of India’s bowling attack, but with Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav injured, India might go in with the experience of Ishant Sharma, who is fit again, over Mohammed Siraj or Shardul Thakur.
As for the replacement of Ravindra Jadeja, the battle is between Washington Sundar and Akshar Patel and Akshar is more of a like-to-like option being a left-hander. India can also play Kuldeep Yadav to bring in some variation for the England batsmen, who are traditionally poor again spin, especially on the turning wicket that Chennai presents.
COC Predicted Team India Playing XI for the first Test in Chennai:
Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (WK), Akshar Patel, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah
