Preview

England vs India: After taking a 2-1 lead at the Oval, India’s wait for the Final Test finally ends. They are here at Edgbaston on the brink of their first series victory in England since Rahul Dravid led them to a victory back in 2007. A lot has changed though over the year. India is playing with a new captain and coach. England is also in with a new captain and coach and looks a lot more threatening than last year. They are batting with more intent, scoring at higher rates and their aggression is scary. With a transformed England side ahead of them, India’s journey to a series win is not going to be as straightforward.

Match Details

Match: India vs England

Date: 1st July 2022

Time: 3:00 PM IST

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Weather Report

The weather forecast predicts cool weather with strong chances of rain throughout the five days of the England vs India Test.

Pitch Report

The surfaces in England this season are a little flatter. With cool weather around though, grass cover is likely, allowing swing movement, but the flatness may make it easier for batters as the game progresses.

England vs India Predicted Playing XI

England Playing XI

Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes/Sam Billings(c), Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Matthew Potts

India Playing XI

Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma(c)/Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara/Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur/Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj/Umesh Yadav

Team News

• England is likely to bring James Anderson back after he missed the Final New Zealand Test with a niggle.

• India has some selection questions to look at. They will have to see if they pick Pujara, Ashwin and Umesh Yadav. Ashwin didn’t play the entire series as they preferred Jadeja, but with the pitches flatter, he may get a chance. Rohit Sharma is also in doubt as he has Covid. If he returns a negative Test today he will be in contention for the Test.

Key Players

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli’s run without centuries continues to rise. Each passing innings raises questions about his form. His T20 spot is already in question with many forgetting his credentials across formats. With a big Test in England, Virat Kohli will be hoping to silence his critics and play a match-defining knock.

See Also: Bumrah to lead the team if Rohit is unable to recover? – Cricket Winner

Jonny Bairstow

The last time India toured England, Jonny Bairstow was in dismal form. He was being dismissed for a duck for fun and struggling to make any contribution to the side. Now, after a dream series against New Zealand, Bairstow is back and looks very threatening. He is taking his aggressive intent to a new level and looks very scary.

England vs India Match Tips

England is back in some wonderful form, unlike last year. For India, Rohit Sharma is in question, Virat Kohli is out of form and Jadeja is coming off a longish break. Overall, the team looks a little undercooked. They are also coming back to England after a year off and will have to get used to the conditions again. With a gap, lack of form, England and Jonny Bairstow’s form, and adjustability in question, India has a lot going against them at the moment.

Match Prediction: England will win the match