The first series of the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle is almost upon us. England host India in a 5-match Test series starting on August 4 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
It will be an extremely important series for the Indians who haven’t won a Test series in England for over 14 years now. There will be a lot of pressure on the bowlers to deliver, while the Indian batsmen need to pick themselves up as well.
The same goes for the hosts who aren’t really settled when it comes to their batting line-up. The latest exit of Ben Stokes has left a gaping hole in their middle-order. They might be forced to go with four seamers as a result, something which isn’t necessarily ideal.
On that note, let’s take a look at 5 players to watch out for in the England vs India Test series:
5) Rishabh Pant
The aggressive middle-order Indian batsman has the capability to take the game away in just one session. We witnessed that in the earlier Test series between the two. He came in at a crunch time and scored a counter-attacking century which India in the driver’s seat.
Granted the conditions are different but expect Rishabh Pant to follow the same attacking template. He will be India’s designated keeper as well throughout the series, an aspect of his game that has drastically improved in 2021. The battle between Pant and the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be an enthralling one.
4) James Anderson
The 38-year-old continues to be England’s most lethal swinging option. Considering Anderson will be playing against his favorite opponents, the swing king will be at his vintage best. Against India, the Englishman has picked up a staggering 118 wickets at an average of 25.30, including a best of 5/20.
In the first Test against India in Chennai earlier this year, he exploited the top-order batsmen’s weakness against swing. On a day 5 track offering nothing much for the pacers, he made the ball talk in the over and dismissed Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane which set England on course for a victory.
3) Ravichandran Ashwin
Traditionally, England conditions offer a lot more to the pace bowlers. That will not deter Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has a knack for picking up wickets regardless of the conditions. He has played 7 Tests in England, picking up 18 wickets at a decent average of 28.11
Against England in general, he has scalped 88 wickets, including 6 five-wicket hauls. This is his combined highest tally against an opponent. In a county game recently, Ashwin even picked up a six-wicket haul for his side Surrey. He is in shape with the bat as well, having scored a century against England in Ahmedabad earlier this year.
2) Joe Root
The batting mainstay of the English side has a lot of work to do in the coming series. Joe Root, who is part of the ‘Fab-Four’, will need to do the bulk of the scoring. English openers have been unstable and were looking like cats on a hot tin roof against the New Zealand pace bowlers in the 2-match Test series last month.
He is their best option against spin, having improved his sweeping prowess during England’s tour of Sri Lanka and India this year. Add to that the absence of Ben Stokes, the Englishmen lack experience in their batting order. Root’s battle against Jasprit Bumrah will be exciting to witness. He will be one of the England players to watch for against India.
1) Virat Kohli
The talismanic Indian skipper will be at the center of attention. The last time he toured England, he set the stage on fire. Across the five games, Kohli emerged as the top-scorer, amassing 593 runs that included two centuries and an innings of 97. He honed his technique after continuous failures in the 2014 tour of England.
Kohli also hasn’t scored a century for over 12 months now. This drought will bring out the best in him. Unlike Joe Root, Kohli has Rohit Sharma to bank on at the top. However, an out of form Pujara and Rahane means Kohli will have to tough it out at one end. His battles against James Anderson will continue as well. For India to come out on top, the skipper will have the biggest say.
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