England vs India, 1st Test: Root elects to bat first
England and India face each other in the first Test match, starting today at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The surface in Nottingham is expected to be a rosy affair for the bowlers, with bounce and carry expected. Batters will be in the game as well. England skipper Joe Root has won the toss and elected to bat first. Here are further details.
Pitch report and conditions on offer
The pitch has a lot of grass and will assist bowling. With overcast conditions on offer, one expects the pacers to enjoy themselves. However, spinners may get some turn on days 4 and 5. Rain could play a part in this Test match with the weather forecast indicating showers on days 2, 3, and 4. Day 1 is nice and bright.
Key stats ahead of the first Test
As per Cricbuzz, India haven't had a 100+ opening partnership outside Asia since 2011. England's Root hasn't hit a fifty in his last 11 innings in Tests. Also, numbers 8-11 for India in the 2018 Test series here averaged 11. Meanwhile, the hosts averaged 21.95. The impact of the tail will be massive in this Test match.
England vs India: A look at the playing XI
England playing XI: Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Daniel Lawrence, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson India playing XI: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Timing and TV listing
The match is scheduled to start at 3:30 PM IST. Fans can watch the action live on the Sony Ten Network. One can also stream the match live on the Sony LIV app (paid subscription).
