England vs India First Test Preview – Copybet

Tip 1: England have made Headingley a fortress, winning their last five Tests at the venue, including a dominant victory over India in 2021.

Joe Root, the local hero, has often been one of the stars of the show as he continues to climb the list of all-time Test run scorers.

Root passed 13,000 runs in the format during England’s win over Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last month in a match that served as a warm-up for the Pataudi Trophy.

He is now only 282 runs behind Rahul Dravid at fourth on the all-time list and could close the gap significantly in this Test.

The Yorkshireman, who has a career Test average above 50 again, has scored 50 or more runs in nine of his last 22 Test innings and six of his last 10 knocks against India at home.

At Headingley, he averages a mere 42.63 with four half centuries in 17 total innings, but he made a match-winning ton at the venue against India in 2021.

With the surface expected to flatten out after day one, Root is well placed to anchor England’s innings and rack up another big score.

Tip 2: Nair’s return to the Indian ranks after an eight-year gap is a story of perseverance.

The 33-year-old has benefitted from Kohli’s withdrawal from Test cricket, but he has worked hard to ensure that his name was at the top of the list of potential middle-order replacements.

Nair burst onto the international scene when he scored an unbeaten 303 in just his third Test, becoming only the second Indian cricketer to score a triple ton.

However, he lost his place three Tests later and hit an all-time low when dropped by his region’s Ranji Trophy side in 2022.

Nair should be well prepared for English conditions after a prolific stint at Northamptonshire last summer when he made a double hundred in an early-season County Championship game.

And he doubled up again for India’s A side against the England Lions at Canterbury at the end of last month, indicating he is bang in form for the first Test of the summer.