India expect the pitch for the primary Check in opposition to England in Hyderabad to supply flip, however the query is how a lot? Two days out from the beginning of the sport, it seemed like the nice size space for the spinners at both finish was drier than the opposite elements of the floor.

It’s in response to the best way pitches within the subcontinent may play that India shall be choosing a specialist keeper for all 5 Checks.

“[KL] Rahul is not going to be taking part in as a wicketkeeper on this sequence,” Dravid mentioned. “I believe we had been fairly clear about that with the choice itself. We had picked two different wicketkeepers. Clearly Rahul did a unbelievable job for us in South Africa and actually performed a giant half in us drawing that sequence. However contemplating It is 5 Check matches and taking part in in these situations, we felt we might go along with one other maintaining choice, contemplating the climate, contemplating the situations. So clearly it is a choice toss-up between the 2 different keepers that we’ve.”

England arrive on the again of a good-looking Check document beneath Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, with 13 wins of their final 18 matches, taking part in attack-first-ask-questions-later form of cricket. And there’s a lot of curiosity round whether or not the Bazball methodology will work in opposition to India in India.

“They’ve performed rather well,” Dravid mentioned. “It is actually been thrilling to look at them play and so they’ve had success taking part in like that. So why would not you play like that?

“However we all know it will be a problem for them in these situations as properly. These are situations that we all know very properly. We have got a whole lot of expertise in our assault. As a coach, I am trying ahead to how our boys reply as a result of I do know that we’ll be put beneath strain and I am actually hopeful that we reply positively.”

England are beneath no illusions. They’re pleased to cope with regardless of the Hyderabad pitch may throw at them.

“We mentioned the pitch however I would not say that we mentioned it at size or fear about it,” quick bowler Mark Wooden mentioned on Tuesday. “We all know, once more, I understand how good India are however we’ve sufficient self-belief in our group that we will do one thing particular.

“It is no good coming right here and rolling over pondering, ‘Oh the pitch goes to do all of the work’ or ‘It will be robust as a result of the pitches usually are not what we’re used to.’ We have now to discover a method and that shall be what we’ll attempt to do within the sport. We’ll adapt, we have got a captain that at all times desires to take the sport ahead so it ought to make for an entertaining sequence.”