Leg-spinner Adil Rashid has been named in the England line-up for the first Test against India to be played at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on Wednesday, August 1, 2018.
Live updates:
Stay tuned for the toss
The play starts at 10:00 AM GMT, 3:30 PM IST, on each of the five days during of the test.
The Pataudi Trophy, the name given to the India-England test series, is currently been held by India having won it back in 2016.
Follow the match live on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 in India and Sky Sports Cricket in the UK. The live streaming can be watched on Sonyliv.com or Sky Sports.
D-day! 😎
— SPN- Sports (@SPNSportsIndia) August 1, 2018
Do not miss any of the #ENGvIND Test action LIVE on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3 from 2:30 PM!#KyaHogaIssBaar #SPNSports pic.twitter.com/NWqbhrluEB
Ben Stokes returns to the test XI
As England has named their XI for this Test, there is not much left to discuss even though Adil Rashid's selection over Dominic Bess or Moeen Ali comes as a bit of shocker.
As briefed on ESPNCricinfo, Ben Stokes, who featured in the last test England played earlier this summer, has replaced Chris Woakes in the lineup. Left-arm seamer Sam Curran has retained his spot in the side after making his debut against Pakistan in June.
🎬 Scene 1, Act 3: "Say cheese!"
— SPN- Sports (@SPNSportsIndia) July 31, 2018
The captains finally get together to pose with the trophy! 😁#GamesBeforeTheGame #KyaHogaIssBaar #ENGvIND #SPNSport pic.twitter.com/73VmEgLmzI
Bhuvi and Bumrah out of the first test
India has two selection issues before the start of the first Test.
The team management needs to decide the opening pair between Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, and Murali Vijay, while the rest of batting lineup is fine. Another question which will worry the Indians would be regarding the bowling combination.
With Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar out for this match, the side will rely on Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami, and Ishant Sharma.
It will be interesting to see how many spinners India includes in this match, and who is going to be the part of the spin bowling department.
Mark your 📅
— SPN- Sports (@SPNSportsIndia) July 28, 2018
You DO NOT want to miss this #ENGvIND Test series! 😃
Catch all the action LIVE on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3.#KyaHogaIssBaar #SPNSports pic.twitter.com/nqhDifTD8Y
According to a report on Cricbuzz, the wicket has a dark and firm appearance to it and if the sun doesn't hide behind the clouds, it should assist the batters more.
The weather forecast, on the other hand, doesn't seem pleasing as there is a chance of rain on the first couple of days. In fact, the weather might force India to pick only one spinner in their side like England did.
Read: England vs India 3rd T20 online stream on Sony Liv at 1 PM GMT on Sunday
Also read: India vs England 1st T20 live streaming on Sony Six and Sky Sports at 4 PM on Tuesday
