Match prediction for England vs India 1st Test in Leeds.
The much-awaited Test series between England (ENG) and India (IND) is set to kick off from June 20. The two rivals will be eager to get an early lead in the series when they meet at Headingley, Leeds. The action is scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM IST on matchdays. This will be the first assignment for Shubman Gill in the captaincy role.
Check out our analysis for the ENG vs IND match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this England vs India 1st Test match.
Joe Root has been a prolific run-scorer in the longer format across conditions. He has amassed 979 runs in the last 10 Tests at an incredible average of 61.19. Root smashed six centuries and five half-centuries in Tests last year. Back him to score a fifty in the first innings.
Karun Nair is set to make his return to the Indian side and will be motivated not to waste the opportunity. He has been in terrific form, recently hitting a double century in a tour match against England Lions.
Jasprit Bumrah is the best bowler in the world and will enjoy bowling in English conditions. The right-arm pacer has taken 46 wickets in his last nine matches at a ridiculous average of 14.91, striking every 31.4 deliveries.
Headingley is a venue where the pitches are pretty balanced with movement for pacers. However, the recent reports suggest this pitch could favour batters a bit more than usual. In 84 Tests hosted at the venue, the average first innings score stands at 298 and 291, respectively.
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England and India have faced each other in 135 Test matches, with the former winning 51 and the latter claiming 35 games. Looking at the recent record in England, the home side has won six and lost three in the previous 10 encounters.
The Ben Stokes-led England will look to assert their dominance over the touring party early in the series. They have had some red-ball cricket under their belt, having smashed Zimbabwe in a one-off Test recently.
England have announced their playing XI with no real surprises. Jacob Bethell has to sit out with Ollie Pope retaining his place. Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse return to the line-up along with Josh Tongue. Shoaib Bashir continues to be the primary spinner.
Possible XI: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
A new era of Test cricket begins for the Indian men’s team with Shubman Gill taking over the reins. Following Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirements from the format, a young and inexperienced side will face the challenge in England.
The management has several questions in front of them. Karun Nair is likely to make his India comeback while Nitish Kumar Reddy and Sai Sudharsan could be fighting for a spot.
In the bowling attack, Prasidh Krishna should partner with Jasprit Bumrah alongside Shardul Thakur, who has an edge due to his batting ability. Whether they play another pacer in Mohammed Siraj or go with Kuldeep Yadav remains to be seen.
Possible XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna.
Check out the details of where to watch the England vs India match.
Unless the weather conditions are overcast, teams generally prefer batting first in Test cricket. The pitch can deteriorate over the course of five days, making it a tough task to bat in the fourth innings. Expect the captain winning the toss to choose to bat first.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup, and favourites to get a better idea of the match.
The weather in Leeds is expected to be quite warm for most of this five-day fixture. There could be some rain on the second day with around a 60% chance of precipitation. The humidity levels are likely to be at 50%, with wind gusts travelling at up to 56 kmph. The temperature should range between 25 to 32 degrees Celsius.
England will have the home advantage in this game and start as the favourites. The bookmakers have given them a 66% chance of winning.
Joe Root is the best batter in the England side, and India will hope to send him back early. Jasprit Bumrah will be key here as Root averages just 31.8 against him. Root has lost his wicket to Bumrah nine times in Test cricket.
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