We are only side who can beat England in England: Ravindra Jadeja

He looks strong, he looks fit and as long as that’s the case, I imagine he’ll carry on playing for a really long time. Virat Kohli’s impressive effort was surely the turning point in the game.

“But if you have a Test where you bowl them out in 80, 60 overs, that changes your thinking”.

So, it’s almost time.

“This is a five-match series and not a two or three-match series where if things go wrong in one match, desperation sinks in”. By picking Adil Rashid, they are selecting the unselectable: a player who will not play four-day Championship cricket for Yorkshire because his heart isn’t in it but he will play for England in Test Matches. Historically, India have struggled at Birmingham.

W.G. Grace only played 22 Tests, the last of which in 1899, but is one of the sport’s most influential figures, while Graham Gooch and Alec Stewart occupy numbers two and three on England’s run-scoring charts. It was the all-rounder’s 100th Test wicket and evidence, if any were needed, of just what an exciting talent he is.

England definitely won that session, but will they end up ruing those two drop off Kohli? Getty Images ” I’m not at all anxious about them for this series (against India), in the long-term you’d have to think about it. Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan looked at ease as they got to 50 without breaking much of a sweat.

They have been beaten twice in their last five home Tests by West Indies and Pakistan, with both sides’ pace attack exploiting the weaknesses in a batting line-up heavily dependent on Root, Jonny Bairstow and seasoned opener Alastair Cook.

Jos Buttler thinks India are an outstanding team and it is “a huge series for everyone involved, there are some great match-ups”.

“If you’re set, try to play a big innings”.

Cheteshwar Pujara’s form is a worry too. As captain, Cook scored 4844 runs at an average of 46.57, with 12 centuries and 24 half-centuries.

“As a bowling unit, we will just have to make it as hard for all of their batsmen to score early runs, but particularly a key player like Virat. Generally, the team that adapts and plays best cricket has longevity through the series will win it”, Broad said.

A gallant win in Johannesburg, accomplished with some extraordinarily fearless batting, must not mask the fact that at decisive points in the first two Tests India let the game drift.

“It’s a young team which has played a lot of matches”. Ed and the selectors made a fearless call’.

The chief executive at Yorkshire, Mark Arthur expressed his disappointment at the recall of 30-year old leg-spinner to the Test squad against India. Out of the 999 men’s Tests that England have played till date, they have won 357, lost 297 and drawn 345.

Rain has been coming down heavily in Birmingham in the past few days and that may force India to go in with a pace-heavy attack. They’ve been doing so well for us, not only in India but outside as well.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah may be unfit for the first Test but the likes of Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav have shown themselves to be capable operators outside of Asia.