England vs India 1st Test Preview & Tips - Kohli tipped to star in India win

India beat England 3-1 in their most recent Test series in March this year. That series took place in India as England took a 1-0 lead but lost the subsequent three matches by convincing margins.

England have lost four of their last five Test matches while they drew one match. The drawn fixture was the 1st Test against New Zealand, a match England would have in all likelihood lost were it not for inclement weather.

In their last Test match, England batted first in Birmingham against New Zealand. Rory Burns and Dan Lawrence scored 81 runs each in a total of 303. Stuart Broad took four wickets to restrict New Zealand to 388 runs, an 85-run lead.

Unfortunately England collapsed to 122 all out in the second innings. That left New Zealand 40 runs to win, a total the Black Caps reached with eight wickets to spare.

Ben Stokes has ruled himself out of the series as he looks to take a break from the game. Craig Overton has been called up to the squad as an allrounder replacement.

Ollie Robinson is also back in the squad after a terrific debut against New Zealand. After three years in the wilderness, Haseeb Hameed will hope for another starting opportunity.

India will be full of confidence heading into this series. Late last year and early this year they defeated Australia away 2-1 in a Test series. That was followed by a 3-1 home win against England.

While their season has gone well, India did lose the World Test Championship final to New Zealand in their last match. India batted first at the Rose Bowl in Southampton but only managed 217 runs.

A good bowling effort helped limit the damage as New Zealand were bowled out for 249 runs in a rain affected match. Mohammed Shami took four wickets. With a 32-run deficit, India could only muster 170 runs, leaving New Zealand 138 to win.

The Black Caps successfully chased the runs down to win by eight wickets.

India’s opening batsman, Mayank Agarwal has been ruled out of the match with concussion. Other than that, India are expected to be at full strength.