3 player battles to watch out for in the first two India vs England Tests ft. Jonny Bairstow vs Axar Patel
India will kick off a highly-anticipated five-match Test series against England with the first game at the Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad beginning on January 25.
The sense of unpredictability surrounding the series is mainly because many are waiting to see how England implement Bazball in Indian conditions against a quality bowling attack. The hosts boast a sensational record at home in Tests, but England remain the last visiting team to win a Test series on Indian soil.
Despite the absence of Virat Kohli for the first two Tests, there are some quality players on display on both sides. Naturally, the result of the tussle between them could have a massive impact on the result of the first two games. On that note, let's take a look at three such major match-ups:
#3 Ben Duckett vs Ravichandran Ashwin
Ben Duckett's attacking instincts at the top of the order are crucial for England to set a time by getting off to a flying start. However, if the pitch is a rank turner, he might have to face the class of Ravichandran Ashwin early on in the innings.
Ashwin seems to love bowling against left-handers, thanks to his incredible record. He also had an upper hand on Duckett when he last toured India for Tests back in 2016. In just 40 deliveries, Duckett has already been dismissed thrice by Ashwin.
The southpaw recently spoke about the challenge of facing the veteran off-spinner and it could be an intriguing player battle for the viewers.
#2 Rohit Sharma vs Mark Wood
Being the only out-and-out pacer in the England line-up for the first Test, Mark Wood will have a crucial role to play in the short bursts that he will get to bowl. The speedster had a sensational Ashes 2023, but the Indian conditions pose a different challenge.
Captain Rohit Sharma becomes even more crucial for India's chances in Kohli's absence. His attacking game and ability to score quickly could be invaluable if the pitch starts turning square.
However, one glaring issue with Rohit is that sometimes he is unable to keep the short ball down and finds the fine-leg fielder for a soft dismissal. Wood has already dismissed Rohit in that manner in England and will want to exploit the weakness in India as well.
The speedster can also be lethal if the ball starts reversing. This will keep him in the game, especially if Rohit gets himself set for a big score.
#1 Jonny Bairstow vs Axar Patel
Axar Patel had a dream debut Test series against England back in 2021, as he picked up a staggering 27 wickets in three Tests and made the visitors' batting line-up fall like a pack of cards.
Jonny Bairstow in particular found the left-arm spinner pretty hard to work out as Axar dismissed him twice. Given Foakes' availability, England have picked Bairstow as a pure batter and that will put extra responsibility on him to score crucial runs.
Axar will be high on confidence given how he had the right-hander at his mercy the last time around. However, Bairstow has been one of the flag-bearers of the Bazball ideology and it will certainly be interesting to see who comes out on top.