I'm looking forward to it. Not bothered who wins as I lived in India for a while and loved it. Playing at home India must be strong favourites because of the pitches, weather and home support. It should be done and (literally) dusted before the rains arrive and the oppressive weather before them.
Time for me to get the beers in, sit back and follow it all as a retired British gentleman should do.

Easy whitewash for India.

Tests
1- Hyderabad - 25 Jan - 30+C - No rain - Hum H
2 - Visakhapatnam - 02 Feb - 30+C - No rain - Hum M
3 - Rajkot - 15 Feb - 31+C - No rain - Hum L
4 - Ranchi - 23 Feb - 25C - V low - Hum M
5 - Dharamsala - 07 Mar - 12C - Rain 20% - Hum VL
So with Dharamsala looking like typical English summer weather, that might be England's best chance.

Looks to me like India to win 3-1. What do you chap(ati)s think?

I'm currently travelling round India for the next 2 months although I don't do any of the planning so I'm nowhere near where any of the cricket is taking place

I've spoken to a good number of people over here who expect to win but are a little nervous because they think we will have a point to prove after the shocking world cup.

Brook sadly missing out basically solves a problem we had of getting 8 players into 7 positions but he will be a big miss. There's an article on Crawley which basically shows how well Duckett has been doing do hopefully he can carry that on and we need Root to shine as well.

There has been some criticism of England's approach to this series but this side have been dealing with that since Stokes took charge. I think it will be 4-1 India and we will do well to win a test as the gap in quality of the spin bowling attacks is huge.

Really looking forward to this series as it's basically a free hit, but I do also think Bazball is actually the best weapon a team has if they are to beat India in home conditions.

If they serve up yet more spin monster pitches like in 21 and recently v Aus, then players hitting a quick 30/40 will actually be useful instead of trying to defend like we did a couple of years ago.

India also don't look themselves recently and no Kohli or Pant are big misses, but likewise I'm expecting 3/4-1 at best

Indians having the Pakistani inferiority complex again it seems.

comment by (K̇ash) - Liverpool 7-0 Man U - Free Palestine 🇵🇸 (U1108)
posted 35 minutes ago
Indians having the Pakistani inferiority complex again it seems.
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Why's that?

comment by Clever - son son son - 'Ten Haaaagendas p... (U18599)
posted 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
comment by (K̇ash) - Liverpool 7-0 Man U - Free Palestine 🇵🇸 (U1108)
posted 35 minutes ago
Indians having the Pakistani inferiority complex again it seems.
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Why's that?
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Visa delay for the Pakistani origin player lol

Lawrence was brought in for Brook but will surely be back-up, initially anyway.

Reports say Stokes will play as a specialist batter, to start with at least.

Racist by the Indians. Won't happen but England should refuse to play the first test match. Disgraceful.

Big call on the bowlers given Stokes still can't bowl.

Wood the only seamer

Yep, a strange-looking England team.

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach.

I get why we want 3 front line spinners but with Root the 5th bowler it does seem a tad pointless.

Presumably they think it's a raging bunsen, but if 3 spinners can't get the job done then asking yet another spinner to come into the attack is unlikely to change much.

Feels like a very attacking move and I like it. Also gives all the spinners (who we currently have available) to have a bowl and puts less pressure on Root. Means we can get a look at both Hartley and Rehan rather than saying giving one a go and not working out and then trying the other. Wood as the only seamer does feel like a risk though but this team is all about taking risks.

There's variety in the spinners too, even Hartley who's a lot taller than Leach so offers a variation despite being a slow left arm.

In saying all this, I still think Dawson should have played instead of Hartley but that ship has sailed now.

I like 3 spinners but it all comes down to Stokes not being able to bowl, if he could then I think the balance would be nice, but as it is I worry if we've misread the pitch we're going to look ridiculous.

It's also why likewise I did want Dawson in the team, cause we could drop a batter and get another seamer in with Dawson's batting.

India will lose this test/potentially series. Their batting lineup without Kohli looks absolutely pathetic.

The last 15/20 minutes the England players just dont give a damn..their attitude stinks.

Can't blame Bairstow there. that delivery was unplayable
Anything around 250 and England will be happy..

Root gone.....

Oh dear

These pitches make Indian bowling look world beaters.
anyway 3 of the dismissals werent good.. Pope aint got a prayer in India

Presumably it's on Sky?

Presumably also the players look tentative and uncomfortable, like they've not had enough warm-up games

Its on TNT