Watch: Rohit Sharma leads Team India as hosts take part in intense training session

Ahead of the first India-England Test match, Rohit Sharma and his teammates arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad to take part in an intense training session. A video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) showcased the players taking part in batting, fielding and bowling drills. “When it’s almost “time” for the first Test,” read the post shared by BCCI on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

When it’s almost “time” for the first Test ⏳#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFirstBank pic.twitter.com/QbswZ1AMWZ

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 23, 2024

One of the biggest talking points going into the series is the absence of Virat Kohli from the first two Tests owing to personal reasons. The BCCI is expected to name Kohli’s replacement soon.

The much-anticipated five-match Test series will start in Hyderabad on January 25. Although the board has not yet announced any replacement for Kohli, the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, and Cheteshwar Pujara remain favourites to earn a call-up. All of them have been in good form in the domestic circuit and can be great additions.

The Test Series between India and England will come to an end in Dharamsala, with the final match beginning on 7 March. The five Test matches will take place at Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamsala.

Ben Stokes-led England have emerged as one of the most entertaining teams to watch in Test cricket in recent times and they come into the series having last featured in red-ball cricket in the Ashes in 2023. They will challenge India in this Test series and it will certainly not be easy for them against a side that has not lost a Test series on home soil since 2012.

Back in 2012, under the captaincy of Alastair Cook, England beat India and the current side would want to replicate that feat this time. As things stand right now, England are in the eighth position in the ICC World Test Championship standings. After drawing the Test series in South Africa, Team India currently occupy the second position.

India Test Squad: Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Srikar Bharat, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah

England Test Squad: Joe Root, Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes, Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Jack Leach and Dan Lawrence