Nepal's Paras Khadka bids adieu to international cricket

ENG vs IND | 1st Test Preview: Unsettled sides chase different objectives to kick off next WTC cycle

The wait is over. India and England are all set to wrestle over a five-match long Test series that will test all their might and perseverance. Both sides love Test cricket and in between Virat Kohli and Joe Root, it's the former who takes the format very personally. He has not hidden his emotions and meaning wrt to Test cricket and hence the series will tell alot about his captaincy. After years of struggle and falling short, India have been able to cope with the bounce and pace of Australian pitches and at the same time have started producing bowlers who have asked some tough questions of the once mighty Australians. India have only gone up in their stature as a touring team. However, if there is one country they have been found out is England where their batsmen have not been able to cope up with the moving ball. England tours in the past have left lasting legacy of players or stamped their mediocrity. Fair to say, the series starting on Wednesday will set the legacy of Virat Kohli, the captain. India have a very good chance to win a series in England after a long wait. However, they have been here before with similar opportunities and have been guilty of letting that go. England have been significantly weakened by the absence of Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes. Captain Joe Root is in desperate search of runs to keep his head safe in the Ashes year. English batting order is significantly inexperienced and also short on confidence after a disastrous home series against New Zealand. India should look to exploit every bit of crack present in England's batting lineup to keep them under pressure. England vs India: Match Details Match Number- 01 Date and Time: August 04-08, 2021, 3:30 pm IST, 10:30 Local, 10:00 GMT Venue: Trent Bridge, Nottingham Broadcast and Live Stream: SonyLIV, Sony Six Pitch and weather Historically, the pitch at Trent Bridge is known to aid pacers but it has had a fair share of flat pitches as well. The ground has seen Australia folding out inside the first session with Stuart Broad running mayhem, while it has also seen half-centuries from James Anderson and Mohammed Shami on the docile pitch in the 2014 Test. With the bowling reserves they have, none of the sides will be hoping for a flat surface. However, Kohli’s India won’t mind batting first on a slower surface where they can unleash the spin twins of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the second innings. The weather should hold the rain long enough for the sides to enforce a result. The first and the last day of the Test should be clear of all the rains while on the remaining three days, the chances of precipitation are around 30 per cent as per BBC weather. Team News England England were already without the reliability of Chris Woakes in English conditions and now Ben Stokes’ absence will cost them the balance as well. They would be delighted to have Ollie Robinson, who can mimic Woakes in terms of bowling length and line hitting the top of off, but Stokes’ absence will hurt them dearly. The English top order except Rory Burns will be under huge pressure after a quiet series against New Zealand and Dom Sibley, in particular, will be hoping for a return to form. England would hope Sam Curran will bring much-vaunted all-round skills with him while the return of Jos Buttler will boost the team’s flamboyance factor both in front and behind the wicket. Both James Anderson and Stuart Broad should start the series and it would leave England to think again over the question of having a spinner in the playing XI. Jack Leach had expressed his frustration over missing out in the series against New Zealand and his return to the playing XI can’t be ruled out. Probable XI Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach India The injuries saga that started on the tour of Australia has not ended for India on this tour as well with as many as three players being ruled out of the entire tour. To add to the selection problems and conundrums, opener Mayank Agarwal, who was all set to get back in the playing XI in place of Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the first Test following a blow on the head by Mohammed Siraj. Agarwal’s absence will open up many questions for the team management over the second opener to partner Rohit Sharma. They would be tempted to ask Cheteshwar Pujara to open for a Test in order to accommodate one of KL Rahul or Hanuma Viharin in the middle order. Rahul scored a flawless century in the practice game and should walk into the XI if the team management opts for a makeshift opener in Pujara. Or, Vihari, too, can be tipped to open the batting for a Test. India’s bowling department came under strict scanner after the loss against New Zealand in the World Test Championship and there were questions raised on whether playing both Jadeja and Ashwin was a luxury. However, India are unlikely to separate the two and both of them will follow Rishabh Pant at the number seven and eight respectively in the batting order. There were questions around Mohammed Siraj as well as Indian bowling attack failed to extract as much purchase off the pitch as their Kiwi counterparts. However, like the spinners, the team management is likely to start the series with the well-oiled trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami. Probable XI Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul/Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah Fantasy XI J Buttler, R Pant, R Sharma, J Root, Virat Kohli (C), R Burns, R Ashwin, J Anderson (VC), I Sharma, M Shami, S Broad

Ben Stokes puts other people in front of himself, it is time he puts himself first: Joe Root

England all-rounder Ben Stokes recently took an indefinite break from the game to address his mental well-being. Captain Joe Root has backed the left-handed batsman’s decision and said that Stokes has always given priority to the team and this is the time where he should put himself first. “Yeah, from my point of view, I just want my friend to be okay. I think anyone that knows Ben, he always puts other people in front of himself and I think now is an opportunity for him to put himself first,” Root said. The Joe Root-led side have a packed schedule ahead of them as the team will first face India in a five-match Test series and then will take on Australia in an away Ashes series. Talking about the game being played in bio-bubbles, Root suggested that there could be more players in the future who will be forced to take a break from the game for sometime. “I think that’s why it’s important that we continue to keep talking, especially whilst we’re in safe living environments. There’s good honest conversations between the players and the ECB so that players can be looked after as best as possible.” The first match between India and England will commence on Wednesday (August 4, 2021) in Nottingham and this will also mark the beginning of the second cycle of the World Test Championship.

It takes relentless madness & pursuit of excellence to win Test series in England: Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli has said that it takes relentless madness and pursuit of excellence to win a Test match on the English soil. “I will answer your second question first, it takes relentless madness and pursuit of excellence every day over a five-Test series, to tell yourself I want to do the hard work and I want to get into situations, which are tough in every Test match on every day,” Kohli said. “And you are going to be ready for that kind of workload, and that kind of mental load,” Kohli told ‘Sky Sports’. The first Test between India and England is slated to begin on Wednesday (August 4, 2021) in Nottingham. The beginning of the Test series will also commence the second cycle of the World Test Championship. Talking about the process, the skipper said that he wants his side to go for the win and not surrender and try to save a Test match. “I want us to go for the win and not surrender and try to save a test match on day three or day four, that for me is just not acceptable,” he said. The visitors suffered some major blows earlier after three players, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Avesh Khan were ruled out of the series due to respective injuries while Mayank Agarwal who was likely to open the innings will miss the first Test after he was hit on the helmet during the practice session and was ruled out due to concussion.

ENG vs IND | 1st Test: Rain predicted on all five days in Nottingham

India and England are slated to lock horns in the five-match Test series scheduled to begin on August 4, 2021 in Nottingham. But there is not enough good news for the cricket fans as the rain might play spoilsport during the clash. Moreover, heavy showers are predicted on the second, third and fourth days of the game during the match timings. The Test series between India and England will mark the beginning of the second cycle of the World Test Championship. Both the teams have suffered blows before the start of the fixtures. While India’s Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Avesh khan were ruled out of the series after sustaining respective injuries, England all-rounder Ben Stokes has taken an indefinite break from cricket to address his mental well-being. The visitors will also miss the services of Mayank Agarwal in the first Test after he was hit on the helmet during the net sessions and was ruled out due to concussions. “Who will open the innings, we are finalising our combination. It’s not finalised yet. Pujara has been really solid for us as (a) No. 3 batsman, so he will continue to bat at No. 3. But as an opening pair, obviously captain, coach (and) management will decide the combination and you will get to know soon,” vice captain Rahane said at a press conference on Monday.