India v England: Three Key Test Battles

India clash with England in the first of a high-profile five-match series starting in Hyderabad on Thursday. AFP Sport looks at three key battles that could shape the series. Rohit v Anderson The face

Rohit Sharma (Image Source: Google)

Crawley v Bumrah

Well begun is half done, and England would expect top-order batsman Zak Crawley to give the team solid starts against Indian quicks on pitches, which may get tough to bat on as the innings progresses.

Crawley shined as an opener during last year's Ashes, when he topped England's batting with 480 runs -- including a ton against an Australian attack led by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.

But in 2021-22 Crawley had a forgettable series against India.

He fell to Jasprit Bumrah twice in Birmingham and once in Nottingham in the two Tests he played.

Bumrah, a yorker specialist with a slingshot action and 140 Test wickets, leads the pace attack alongside Mohammed Siraj in the absence of the injured Mohammed Shami.

He will look to provide India with early breakthroughs to open the doors for the spinners to take charge later.