India vs England, 1st Test: England elect to bat
England have won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. The series opener marks the beginning of England's first Test series in India since 2016/17. This is also the first international series hosted by India amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, England captain Joe Root is all set to feature in his 100th Test.
Here is the playing XI of both teams
India playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Shahbaz Nadeem. England playing XI: Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Daniel Lawrence, Joe Root (captain), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Dominic Bess, Jofra Archer, Jack Leach, James Anderson.
The wicket to assist both batsmen and bowlers
After scripting history Down Under, the Virat Kohli-led Team India is deemed as favorites. Meanwhile, England's resistance at the Chepauk will be duly tested. According to the newly-appointed pitch curator V Ramesh Kumar, the wicket will offer a fair contest between bat and ball. It will be conducive for the spinners as the match proceeds to the final two days.
Root plays his 100th Test for England
Skipper Root has become the 15th England cricketer to feature in 100 Test matches. The 30-year-old is presently the leading run-scorer among active cricketers in Test cricket. He enters the Chennai Test with 8,249 runs, which he has amassed at an average of 49.39.
