#IndiaInEngland: Key battles to watch out for in 1st Test
What's the story
India and England are all set to battle against each other in the first Test match at Edgbaston, starting August 1.
Both teams have some world class players who will have a real crack at each other.
There are some key battles in store as players will look to outsmart each other.
Which are these battles? How will it pan out?
Bat vs Ball
Umesh Yadav vs Alastair Cook
Umesh Yadav could take command in the first Test, as he is the player in form.
The right-arm pacer needs to target Alastair Cook early on.
Cook has not performed well against the swinging ball with his foot movement being caught many times.
Umesh has pace and the ability to get the ball talking and that could get the southpaw into trouble.
Key battle
James Anderson vs Virat Kohli
In 2014, James Anderson made Virat Kohli his bunny.
A struggling Kohli never managed to get his technique right and struggled against Anderson. Anderson steamed in with venomous energy and got the ball to swing.
Anderson had dismissed Kohli 4 times in 5 Tests.
Anderson can swing the ball both ways and will, once again, target the improved Indian skipper.
Experience vs Class
Ishant Sharma vs Joe Root
Ishant Sharma can often force a batsman to play a rash shot or try something fancy.
The lanky pacer is consistent with his line and length and keeps it tight.
If one has studied Joe Root, he has often fallen prey to a lapse of concentration during pivotal moments of the day.
Despite being amongst runs, Root can be a target for Ishant.
Spin attack
R Ashwin vs Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler's presence in the middle-order will help England immensely.
He can take the game away from the opposition in no time and his positive approach could be a strong ploy against senior Indian spinner R Ashwin.
With the old ball looking to do a bit, the experience of Ashwin could test the in-form Jos.
Will he attack Ashwin from the word go?
Battle 5
Stuart Broad vs Cheteshwar Pujara
Pujara is badly out of form and if he comes in at number three, the likes of Anderson and Broad will enjoy the scenario.
Broad with that extra bit of pace and bounce can get Pujara into uncomfortable situations.
The right-handed batsman has a tendency to poke the seaming delivery away, and Broad knows he has to be consistent outside the off-stump.