Ben Stokes' England won the toss and decided to bat first against Rohit Sharma-led India in the first Test match of the five-game series at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Skipper Ben Stokes revealed that England could go for a change in rhythm by making experienced batter Joe Root open the bowling for the visitors in the first Test against India in Hyderabad on Thursday.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday confirmed that uncapped off-spinner Shoaib Bashir received his visa to tour India for the five-match Test series is set to join the English squad soon.
Ahead of the first Test match between India and England on Thursday in Hyderabad, English wicketkeeper batter Sam Billings on Wednesday said that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be the biggest challenge for the visitors.
Ahead of England's five-match Test series against India, skipper Ben Stokes on Tuesday opened up on Shoaib Bashir's visa delay and said that it is "frustrating".
"It was a bit more than a 'clear out' as well. Surgery is always the last option. Surgeries can go very well, but they can also sometimes not go too well and set people back even further, and potentially even end careers," Stokes said.
The five-match Test series between India and England begins on January 25 in Hyderabad with the next four matches to be played in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala.
The England Cricket Team arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad on Sunday evening ahead of their five-match Test series against India.
Notably, ahead of the Ayodhya Rama Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22, the idol of Lord Ram was placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Ayodhya on Thursday.
The five-Test series between these two rivals will kickstart from January 25 onwards at Hyderabad and end on March 11 in Dharamshala. This series will be an extremely crucial fixture for both sides, as a lot of ICC World Test Championship points are at stake.