Predicted England XI for India opener in Chennai

Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer return as a potentially much-changed England side prepare for India challenge.

England’s 2-0 Test series triumph in Sri Lanka saw Joe Root’s men register a fourth consecutive Test series victory and in doing so also record a fifth successive overseas Test success. England’s run will now face its most daunting challenge with a highly anticipated four match series in India, with the hosts also off the back of an impressive victory down under in one of cricket’s most enthralling series in recent time. However, the return of two X-Factor players offers hope that the tourists can banish the memories of the 4-0 humbling on their last visit in 2016/17.

Stokes and Archer, who were both rested for the recent two match series in Galle, along with Rory Burns who missed the tour on paternity leave, are expected to go straight into the side for Friday’s opening Test in the place of Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood. The trio are being rested for the first two Tests in Chennai as part of a rotation policy implemented in the midst of an action-packed year for England’s multi-format players, as well as concerns over extensive periods in bio-secure bubbles in recent months.

It is expected Burns will return to his usual role at the top of the order partnering Dom Sibley, meaning a tough reintroduction to Test cricket against one of the world’s most premier strike bowlers across all formats, Jasprit Bumrah who rather remarkably is readying for his first ever Test match on home soil. Subsequently, Zak Crawley is likely to return to his more familiar role at number three, vacated by the rested Bairstow. Question marks still remain over England’s top order with both Sibley and Crawley under increasing pressure after finding life difficult in Galle, though the former did produce a valuable 56 not out to steer England over the line in the 2nd Test.

However, the 22-year old Crawley could only manage a combined total of 30 runs across his four innings. Both batsmen were highly susceptible to the left-arm spin of Lasith Embuldeniya, who claimed the wicket of England’s openers on seven out of a possible eight opportunities, with Sibley’s unbeaten half century the only exception.

? Chennai, India@root66 and the team have arrived in India ahead of our four-match Test series ????????? pic.twitter.com/GT06p9Ru4u

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 27, 2021

Given the long-term struggles against left-arm spin, England’s top order may be relieved knowing that India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will miss the entire series through a thumb injury sustained during the 3rd Test against Australia. However the hosts do possess the world’s highest ranked Test spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin, who is one of a few Indian players that have recovered in time following an injury-plagued tour of Australia.

One player showing no signs of struggle against spin is captain Joe Root who produced a batting masterclass in Sri Lanka, averaging 106.50 across the two-match series, including a score of 228 in the first Test. Root’s effortless sweeping of the ball and ability to move on the scoreboard will be duly supplemented by the returning Stokes who will slot into the middle order in place of Curran.

With England likely to continue with a five-man bowling attack, Dan Lawrence will be hoping to maintain his place within the middle order, though faces competition from Ollie Pope who is nearing a return from a shoulder injury sustained against Pakistan in the summer. Lawrence experienced a mixed start to his Test career in Galle, failing to back up his maiden half century in the first outing, with scores of just three and two in the following Test.

Just in: Players from both India and England squads have cleared the Covid testing process and will start training tomorrow#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/ljcP5KtQcF

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 1, 2021

Pope travelled with the squad to Sri Lanka to continue his rehabilitation and impressed with the bat during a warm-up game, but was unable to field. The Surrey batsmen has impressed in his early Test career thus far and providing full fitness, coupled with India’s more potent bowling attack in comparison to that of Sri Lanka, is in line to get the nod ahead of Lawrence.

Jos Buttler will maintain the gloves at number seven in the batting order, in what will be his only contribution to the tour, as he will be returning home following the first Test in Chennai as part of England’s rotation policy. Ben Foakes is expected to deputise behind the stumps for the remainder of the tour.

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Despite suggestions an unexpectedly green covered surface is being prepared for the players to provide more of a contest between bat and ball, following previous criticism of the Chennai pitch, it is almost a certainty that England will deploy two front-line spinners. Despite taking a combined 22 wickets in Sri Lanka, England’s spin twins of Dom Bess and Jack Leach’s figures were often flattered by some very ordinary batting. In fact, rather surprisingly, all ten of Sri Lanka’s wickets in their first innings of the 2nd Test came from England’s seamers, with Bess and Leach’s combined 64 overs failing to provide a wicket in favourable conditions.

Bess in particular struggled for consistency in his lines and rarely looked like threatening a wicket, until it was handed on a plate by the Sri Lankan’ batsmen. Maybe forgiven for a severe lack of cricket beforehand, but Bess and Leach will need to improve against an imposing Indian batting line-up.

Therefore, there is every chance that Moeen Ali could earn a recall to the Test side for the first time since he was axed following defeat in the first Ashes Test in 2019. Ali has fully recovered from Covid-19 which prevented any involvement for the all-rounder during the Sri Lanka series. However, given that Ali is likely to be one of the players rested for the second half of the series, one would suspect that he will get an early opportunity. Ali also has previous Friday’s venue in Chennai, scoring 146 in the 5th Test of the 2016/17 series, one which the tourists remarkably still went on to lose by an innings and 75 runs.

See you soon India ✈️?? pic.twitter.com/TrGHG3iuy3

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) January 23, 2021

In terms of seam bowlers, Archer will take the place of Wood in conditions he knows better than most England bowlers given his recent IPL stints for the Rajasthan Royals. Archer’s blistering pace will always provide a huge threat for England in any conditions with viewers of the recent series between Australia and India potentially noting the difficulties experienced by Cheteshwar Pujara against the short ball from the Australia pace attack, admittedly on a completely different surface to the one facing the players this week.

Both Stuart Broad and James Anderson impressed during their solitary test matches in Sri Lanka, with the latter taking an impressive 6-40 from 29 overs in the 2nd Test. However early indications suggest that we may be unlikely to see the duo in the same XI away from home moving forward in order to manage workloads in less swing-friendly conditions.

Should England continue to separate their most successful new-ball pairing, the selectors face the unenviable task of deciding which one gets the nod. Chris Woakes and the much-talked-about Olly Stone provide strong competition in the pace department, though with both restricted to a watching brief in Sri Lanka, it is unlikely either will be called upon for the first Test in Chennai on February 5th.

PREDICTED ENGLAND XI FOR THE FIRST TEST

Rory Burns

Dom Sibley

Zak Crawley

Joe Root (c)

Ben Stokes

Ollie Pope

Jos Buttler (wk)

Moeen Ali

Jofra Archer

Stuart Broad

Jack Leach