All you need to know about the first India-England Test at Rajkot
Rajkot will witness its maiden Test match when India and England begin their five-match series on Wednesday. Factoring in the events of 2011, 2012 and 2014, the series has been labelled as an opportunity for the hosts to settle old scores.
On the other hand, Alastair Cook’s team arrive in India amidst a cloud of pessimism hanging over them. With their ability to negotiate those spin-friendly pitches about to be put to a gruelling test, a mouthwatering tussle awaits. Let us take a detailed look at the five most important aspects surrounding the series opener at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
#5 Contrasting recent form
India’s recent Test form has been particularly impressive with four successive series victories across both home and away. Under an aggressive skipper in Virat Kohli, they will be eager to add the England team to their list of conquests and open up a significant lead at the top of the table.
Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin looking forward to duel with Alastair Cook
England kickstarted their summer with a comfortable 2-0 victory at home against Sri Lanka. But, they could only manage a 2-2 draw when Pakistan visited them in the ensuing series.
Things turned to worse after Bangladesh pulled off a historic 108-run victory against them and leveled the series in Dhaka.