IND vs ENG: India's strongest playing 11 for first Test in Hyderabad - Will India play with two pacers only?

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IND vs ENG: India are set to host England for a 5-Test series starting with the first match from January 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The BCCI has already announced squad for the first two Test matches.

Mohammed Shami is yet to recover from his injury and get back in the team, and his absence Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan would be accompanying the pace spearheads Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

As many as four spinners have got place in the 16-member squad. Spin will again be India's main weapon against England who are searching for their first Test series win in India since 2012. In fact, they are last team who registered a Test series win in India.

The batting unit has picked itself and there are no surprises except fur 22-year-old Dhruv Jurel's inclusion as the third wickekeeper-batter in the team alongside KL Rahul and KS Bharat. Ishan Kishan, who opted for a break due to personal reasons ahead of the South Africa Tests, hasn't been named in the squad.

IND vs ENG: India's strongest playing 11 for first Test vs England in Hyderabad

Captain Rohit Sharma opening with young Yashasvi Jaiswal looks like a certainty. The series will be crucial for Shubman Gill who is trying to make the number three spot his own. Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul look set to form the middle-order.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are also automatic choices, and that leaves three spots to be filled to form India's playing eleven for the first Test match against England.

IND vs ENG: Will India play with three spinners?

The chances of India playing with three spinners is rife. In their last Test match at home, India played with three spinners and two pacers. Same was the case in the 4-Test series against England in 2021 which India won 3-1.

Throughout the course of the series India played with three spinners and two pacers. The mantra is expected to be no different this time as well. India will lay out the spin trap for England.

After the Cape Town Test lasted inside two days on a seam-friendly surface, India captain Rohit Sharma made it clear that team's visiting India should also not complain about deliveries turning from day one.

Spinning tracks would be dished out once again to England, and to take advantage, India would definitely look to play with three spinners again.

Three of India's four spinners can bat to give the middle-order an extra cushion. Even though Bumrah has swung his bat with success on a few occasions, none of the four pacers named in the squad have a batting reputation.

That gives India another reason to go with three spinners. A toss up between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav is likely on the cards for the third-choice spinner. Axar Patel starred in the last home Test series against England in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja. He picked 27 wickets in three matches.

However, the senior left-arm spinner in Jadeja is in the squad this time. The two spinners from the state of Gujarat have similar skill sets, and that might open the chance of Kuldeep Yadav coming into the eleven. The addition of Kuldeep will bring variety in India's spin attack. In that scenario India's strongest playing 11 for the first Test could see only two pacers.

India's strongest possible playing 11 vs 1st Test vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

India squad for 1st and 2nd Test vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan