India vs England First Test Match: Date, stadium, UK TV channel and live streaming

The roaring Indian side gears up for another scintillating red-ball series against a high-flying English side as the two heavyweights lock horns at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

India enter this contest on the back of a stalemate against South Africa in the latter's den as they emerged from the final frontier without a defeat sharing the silverware with the Proteas with the series at 1-1. With test cricket returning to the Indian subcontinent for the first time in the new 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle, Rohit Sharma and the company will be eager to thrash their opposition and tame the Three Lions' philosophy of 'Bazball'.

Without a doubt, Brendon Mccullum's men will not shy away from playing destructive cricket in the subcontinent, a place where they were dismantled by the Indian spinners a few years back. With Bazball becoming a reflection of modern English cricket and their approach towards a game, the fans could expect fireworks throughout the contest, especially from the visitors' blades.

When is the first test match between India and England?

The first test match between the two sides is scheduled for January 25, 2024 with the first ball to be bowled at 4:00 am GMT in the UK

The two cricket powerhouses will play the opening battle at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad as both sides look to bolster their respective positions in the WTC table.

How to watch the first test match between India and England in the United Kingdom?

The fans in the UK can tune into TNT Sports to watch the much-anticipated fixture with its membership costing £29.9, contract-free. For day-to-day action, viewers can follow BCCI's Official Website or download their app to get constant updates about the encounter.

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India vs England: Team News & Predicted XI

Indian cricket fans were handed a massive heartbreak just on the eve of the maiden test of the series as India's talismanic batsman Virat Kohli pulled out of the first two games due to personal reasons.

The RCB batsman has amassed 1015 runs wearing the Indian whites against England in his backyard and was on course to leapfrog veteran batsman Sunil Gavaskar as India will surely miss his cover drives out in the middle.

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Despite Kohli's departure, the home side is pretty settled with captain Rohit Sharma touted to lead from the front with young guns Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubhman Gill who'll be looking to give England a taste of their own medicine with their own fearless approach.

The Indian side could feature three spinners with all of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Axar Patel vying for a start with Patel making his test debut against the same opposition where he bagged 27 wickets in just three games.

England, on the other hand, are tipped to enter the clash with two spinners, Jack Leach and leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed.

The openers would be Zack Crawley and Ben Duckett while the majority of the onus would be on the likes of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Ben Stokes with the trio boasting of large experience of playing in the subcontinent.

The Three Lions would be hoping to tackle the Indian spinners otherwise they could rattle like bowling pins once again, a reflection of what happened during the last visit. The evergreen James Anderson will partner up his exemplary swing with the electrifying pace of Mark Wood as the duo will look to trouble the opposition from the word go.

India predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, K L Rahul, K S Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah & Mohammed Siraj

England predicted XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Mark Wood, & James Anderson

India vs England head-to-head

In the 90 years of playing history between the two sides, India and England have crossed swords 131 times in tests with England scoring a half-century of wins with 50 while India winning 31 and 50 games ending in a draw.

Playing in India, the pendulum is in the hosts' favour with India winning 22 games and England managing 14 wins. England last defeated India in a series on the latter's soil back in 2012 as it was India's solitary loss in red-ball cricket series since then.

India vs England: Players to Watch

Ravichandran Ashwin, a magician with the ball in his hand, will be slated as the most influential cog in India's bowling lineup with the veteran off-spinner possessing the artistry of deceiving a batsman at any stage of the game.

Axar Patel would be another name that would be haunting the English players after his brilliance last time out as the Gujarat spinner prefers to stick with a particular line and length often playing with the batsman's mind and awarding the spinner with wickets.

In batting, Rohit Sharma will be India's most experienced player and his head-and-shoulders above others when it comes down to batting on a tricky wicket. The veteran opener could toil with the English spinners if he gets his eye in and it would be crucial for the pacers to get his number as early in the game.

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England will once again bank on Joe Root to replicate his heroics from the first test against India when they visited them in 2021. The classy batsman thundered a double-century in Chennai and has the ability to toil with the bowlers if set.

James Anderson would be another name that would cause havoc, a thing that has been associated with him since he got hold of the ball. The pacer could swing the red cherry both ways and can land unplayable deliveries at will making him a massive threat throughout the series.

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