Watch Ind v Eng first test day 1 full highlights today from Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot (India), Wednesday 9th November 2016. Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium had not been used ever for international test cricket before it means it will be the very first test match of England tour of India Nov 2016.
If we watch ODI stats then we can take a little hint about batting and bowling performance from some teams or players. England is the highest runs scorer against India in ODI format in this venue with 325 runs four down on 11 January 2013 and India scored 316 runs with nine down in that match.
Toss: England have won the toss and chose to bat first.
Second time against SA India scored 252 runs with six down and lost that match from eighteen runs. V Kohli is the second most runs scorer in this ground with 92 runs in two innings. AN Cook scored 75 in one inning, IR Bell scored 85 runs. JC Tredwell is the most wicket-taker in this ground with four wickets in one inning.
After the analysis of ODI format previous performance, we got that this pitch is so good for English batsmen and also bowlers. But one more attraction is there which is, when those ODI’s had been played then Indian bowling was not so good then these days it means this time India has the opportunity to take maximum advantage of home ground with their best seamers.
India team
M Vijay, G Gambhir, CA Pujara, V Kohli*, AM Rahane, R Ashwin, WP Saha†, RA Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, UT Yadav, A Mishra.
England team
AN Cook*, H Hameed, JE Root, BM Duckett, MM Ali, BA Stokes, JM Bairstow†, CR Woakes, ZS Ansari, AU Rashid, SCJ Broad.
Match Timings: 09:30 local time (04:00 GMT)
This is Rajkot’s Test debut, but first-class numbers at this relatively new ground hold enough hints of what to expect: 20 five-wicket hauls for spinners in 16 matches. In Jadeja’s last match here, all 39 wickets falling to bowlers went to spinners. Jadeja took 13.
There are cracks running across the length of this pitch although there patches of green too. Having said that, it is nothing England won’t expect given the recent trend of pitches in Asia – barring the UAE. If it is any consolation for them, this pitch is not expected to turn as much or as early as the ones in Bangladesh did.
England has already announced that the 19-year-old Haseeb Hameed with become the youngest debutant England opener of all time. Ben Duckett, who scored a half-century in his last innings in Bangladesh, will get another opportunity, but this time at No. 4. That means Jos Buttler, who promises aggression and unorthodoxy that can test India, must wait for his chance on this trip. With the presence of allrounders in the side, England are likely to play six bowlers: three quick and three slow.
With injuries to three key batsmen, India has to rejig their trusted winning combination. While Gautam Gambhir should continue to be the replacement opener after he looked in decent touch when he played against New Zealand in Indore, there are two spots that are not yet decided. One of them will go to a debutant.
A like-for-like replacement for Rohit Sharma at No. 6 would be Karnataka’s Karun Nair, but the presence of Hardik Pandya in the squad depends on the pitch. If India considers the pitch to not be helpful enough, or if they see England as a bigger batting threat than New Zealand, they could play Pandya as the fifth bowler who bats at No. 8. Pandya could even be the second quick if India decides to play three spinners. However, given the pitch looks like the one in Kanpur, expect India to play two spinners and two quicks with Ishant Sharma edging out Umesh Yadav.
Test no. 2332 | 2016/17 season
Played at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
9,10,11,12,13 November 2016 (5-day match)
Umpires – HDPK Dharmasena and CB Gaffaney
TV umpire – RJ Tucker
Match referee – RS Madugalle
Reserve umpire – CK Nandan
Scorecard
England 311/4 93.0 overs
India
England won the toss and elected to bat
