India will host England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, on 25 January in the first Test of their five-match series. The home team has an advantage, given how well they know these conditions. It will not be easy for England to compete against India in this series.
England have a perfect side at their disposal, and they will be keen on impacting this game, and consequently, the series. The surface in Hyderabad is expected to favour batting, and both teams know this. The pitch may take some turn later in the game, and that is when the real game begins.
India was dealt a big blow even before the series began when their star batter and former captain, Virat Kohli, chose not to be available for the first two matches for personal reasons. While this throws India into the deep end, it also allows the youngsters to come in and prove themselves to the selectors and thousands of supporters.
Predicted teams
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach
Key Players
Rohit Sharma: India's captain and opener Rohit Sharma will be one of the key players to watch out for in this match. Sharma is known to attack the opposition and not let the bowlers settle down. He will have to play a massive role for India to succeed in this game and take an early lead in the series.
Joe Root: Former England captain Joe Root, who is expected to bat at number four for them in this match, will be one of the key players to watch out. Root has taken his game to another level in the last calendar year, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against the highly-vaunted Indian bowling attack.
Match Prediction
Although England are expected to bring their famed Bazball way of playing cricket into this match and, consequently, the series, India are the downright favourites. The home team has been close to unbeatable in these conditions, and they have never lost in Hyderabad. All these factors suggest an Indian victory in this game.