ENG vs IND: Top 3 Players to watch out for from England ahead of 1st Test

England brace themselves for one of their fiercest Test rivalry starting this Friday on June 20. The world holds its horses as they await a cracking showdown to take place between England and India at Headingly. The home side would want to start their new WTC cycle with a thumping series win. But they will have to set the tone early doors in the first Test, which will get underway in a few hours from now.

Unlike the visitors, England have already announced their playing eleven for the first Test. There are some incredibly talented superstars in that lineup who can go on to pose a huge threat to India. Besides, these players also enjoy a prolific track record against India and have historically performed well against them in this format. 

In this article, we will explore the top three English players that we need to watch out for ahead of the first Test.

See also: ENG vs IND: Top 3 Players to watch out for from India ahead of 1st Test

Chris Woakes

Woakes has been an essential component of the England lineup across all formats over the past few years. He has been a loyal servant for the English team and has done wonders with the bat and the ball. The Birmingham-based all-rounder opens the bowling with the new ball and can save the day for England with the bat by coming in low down the order. With 181 wickets and 1971 runs in this format, Woakes is expected to play a crucial role for his side in the upcoming Test. Moreover, his Test record against India is quite impressive. With the bat, he has achieved his best Test score of 137* and has 23 wickets against them, which includes his best figures of 4/55. In the absence of Jimmy Anderson, Woakes will have to leverage his experience in order to spearhead the bowling attack. Carse and Tongue are in the early phase of their career, and Woakes will understandably need to step in and do the bulk of the heavy lifting. 

Ben Stokes

Another charismatic all-rounder who is likely going to hog the limelight from an England point of view is none other than Ben Stokes. Stokes has been a revolutionary leader for England in the Test format. Under his leadership, Stokes has redefined England's legacy as a Test team by instilling a fearless approach in his comrades. As a player, Stokes has been full of runs and wickets. He does not bowl as often as he used to, but his batting record stands out. Across 199 innings, Stokes has piled up 6728 runs at a formidable average of 35, which includes one century and five half-centuries against India alone. His best score of 128 against India is also his overall fourth-best Test score. With the ball, he can be equally devastating as well. 40 out of his 213 Test wickets have come against India, which also includes his second-best all-time bowling figures of 6/113.

Joe Root

The man whom India fears the most is the Yorkshire-based top-order batter Joe Root. The 34-year-old keeps getting better at his game with each passing day. In his 12-year-long Test career, Root has achieved some monumental milestones, and experts are of the opinion that he could go on to be the greatest Test batter in world cricket. Overall, Root is the fifth-highest run-getter in Test cricket with 13006 runs under his belt. He has surpassed the legendary Sir Alastair Cook to become the highest run scorer for England in the Test format. Root is only 373 runs away from displacing Ricky Ponting from the list to become the second-highest all-time run scorer, leaving him just a spot behind India's Sachin Tendulkar. Speaking of his record against India, a majority of his Test runs have come against India. The 34-year-old relished the challenge of playing against India and has scored 2846 runs in 55 innings at a stellar average of 58.08. Besides, he has also slammed 10 centuries against them, by far the most he has achieved against any team.

England has previously hosted Zimbabwe for a one-off four-day Test in which they achieved a convincing victory of an innings and 45 runs. The home side would want to carry on with the same momentum and hope that their winning streak stays intact.