(Cricket News) England unveiled their starting eleven for the initial Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad a day before the match. The visiting team has opted for a lineup featuring three spinners, with Mark Wood being the sole pacer. The playing eleven includes left-arm spinners Jack Leach and Tom Hartley, alongside leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed.

England’s Monty Panesar, in an interview with this newspaper, highly praised the young Hartley and drew a comparison with Axar Patel, stating, “He’s a similar bowler to Axar. He is more of a roller. Axar knows he doesn’t have to put much spin on it. He looks to set the batter up to the non-turning delivery. And then you’ll get the odd one because his seam is slightly squarer; he’ll get that ball to bite that little bit. Not as sharp as Jadeja. That’s why they complement each other. One’s tall, the other one is a bit shorter.”

With Harry Brook from England withdrawing from the series due to personal reasons, the debate over who would assume the wicketkeeping duties has concluded. Ben Foakes will take on the role of the wicketkeeper, and Jonny Bairstow will step in to fill Brook’s spot in the middle order as a specialized batter.

The England playing XI for the first Test includes Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, and Jack Leach.

As for India, Rajat Patidar has replaced Virat Kohli. Kohli, citing personal reasons, requested a break for the first two Tests. While Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul form India’s middle order in the first Test, there was no additional backup batsman in case of a last-minute injury or for use as a concussion substitute.

Patidar, returning after an almost eight-month injury hiatus, emerged as the unanimous choice of the Indian team management and selectors. The Madhya Pradesh batsman, known for his composure, typically bats at No.4 and showcases an assertive style, putting pressure on bowlers from the outset in the domestic circuit.

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