England chose to bat first against India at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Uppal in Hyderabad after winning the toss. With Tom Hartley scheduled to make his Test debut in the opening match, the visitors have already revealed their playing eleven, which includes three spinners and one fast bowler. However, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja are the trio that India has chosen to start instead of Kuldeep Yadav. India will try to maintain their dominance at home, but they will have their hardest test in a while as England tries to surprise them with a Bazball strategy. Star batter Virat Kohli has withdrawn from the game, citing personal reasons, so the hosts will miss his services.
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