ENG vs IND: England Player Doubtful for 1st Test

ENG vs IND: The excitement has reached another level as two of the biggest cricketing nations, England and India are set to face-off in a five-match Test series. The first Test match between England and India will begin from 4 August at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The upcoming England vs India five-match Test series will mark the beginning of the 2021-23 cycle of the World Test Championship.

Ollie Pope Doubtful for 1st Test

In a recent development, England batsman Ollie Pope is doubtful for the 1st Test match against India. The right-handed batsman is yet to completely recover from a thigh injury which he sustained during the T20 Blast while playing for Surrey. In the absence of Ben Stokes, England’s batting line-up already looks very much inexperienced and thus, Pope’s presence in the playing XI is really crucial for the hosts.

Related: Mayank Agarwal Out of IND vs ENG 1st Test

“A decision is still to be made. ‘I’ve been hitting a lot of balls and trying to do as much running as I can. I’m still feeling it a bit but nothing major,” Ollie Pope told Dailymail.

“I’m hopeful but it will be up to the physio and management to manage the risk. It’s trying to make sure that if I do play in this one it won’t create issues for the next four Tests,” he added.

England squad (2 Tests): Joe Root (c), Rory Burns, Craig Overton, Dominic Sibley, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson.

Related: Michael Vaughan Predicts the Winners of ENG vs IND Test Series

ENG vs IND

Ben Stokes pulling out of entire India Test series has been a massive blow for the Joe Root-led side with regards to the balance of the team. It will be interesting to see whether England opt to go with an all-pace attack in Nottingham as rain could play a significant role throughout the five days of the Test match. Both England and India have some really tough calls to take while picking the playing XI.

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