IND vs ENG, 1st Test: 3 Players to Watch Out For | India vs England Test

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: 3 Players to Watch Out For: Team India is set to lock horns against England in the five-match test series, starting January 25. The two sides will huddle in Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium for the 1st Test, the preparations of which are underway. While the Indian side was asked to re-group on January 20th, the Englishmen arrived in the host city late on Sunday after warming up in Abu Dhabi.

India's record in home tests has been impeccable. The side hasn't lost a single red-ball series since 2012. In fact, India has only lost three test matches since 2012 on home soil.

It is noteworthy that it was England that turned its tale up during the 2012 tour and defeated India by 2-1. However, after the 2012 series, India's record has been second to none. Not only at home, the Indians have shown their prowess in foreign lands as well in the last few years.

Ahead of the 1st India vs England test in Hyderabad, Team India is scheduled to undergo a four-day practice session in a bid to complete their preparations for the upcoming tests.

Below is this article, let's have a look at key players from the Indian side: 3 Players to Watch Out For during India vs England 1st Test.

3 Players to Watch Out For During India vs England Test

Rohit Sharma

Team India will look forward to their captain, Rohit Sharma, providing solid starts more often than not. In the past, Rohit has been sensational and he needs to turn up the heat once again with his blade itching to go against England.

Rohit Sharma's home record in test matches is one of the best. He is sometimes compared with Sir Don Bradman, such has been the calibre of the Indian captain at home. With his sharp skill to negate the spinning conditions, Rohit Sharma becomes a vital cog in India's batting lineup.

The right-handed batter scored 345 runs against England when they last toured India in 2021, which included an innings of 161 runs in Chennai.

R Ashwin

When the conditions favour spin, India's R Ashwin becomes a menace. He is one of those guys, who can easily take wickets in bundles and turn the table upside down. Although there may be some confusion among people on R Ashwin's place in the white-ball squad, there isn't even a single shadow of doubt when it comes to his place in the test outfit, especially in home conditions.

The right-arm off-spinner is just 10 wickets away from claiming a massive 500 wickets in the test cricket. He is likely to complete this milestone in the upcoming series against England. Moreover, Ashwin has scalped 88 wickets against England in test matches along with a century with the bat in hand.

KL Rahul

Multi-dimensional KL Rahul is going to play as a genuine wicketkeeper batter in the test matches for the first time. Rahul has played test cricket, so far as a better, but now he is geared up to fulfil the role of wicketkeeper as well.

Often it is said that India's middle order is fragile, and often breaks down when put under stress. However, with the presence of a solid batter with the capabilities of KL Rahul, the team gains enormous confidence to negate any dire situation.

KL Rahul has featured in 19 home tests so far in which he has scored 923 runs at an average of 40.13. The glovesman has mustered eight half-centuries along with a century in his 19 outings.

India's Test Squad vs England

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.

England's Test Squad vs India

Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Zak Crawley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root and Mark Wood.

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