India vs England: Selectors to pick squad for first two Test matches on Tuesday

The Indian selectors led by Chetan Sharma will meet on Tuesday to pick the squad for the first two Tests against England which gets underway at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from February 5.

Ishant Sharma to make a comback?

An eye will be on the injury status of the likes of Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah. Chief selector Chetan, Sunil Joshi, Harvinder Singh, Debasis Mohanty, and Abey Kuruvilla will need to see if the likes of Bumrah and Ashwin can be back for the first game in Chennai after missing out on the final Test of the series against Australia at The Gabba.

While veteran pacer Ishant Sharma is almost certain to come back into the team after putting up a strong display for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has also done well for Uttar Pradesh. While Ishant has picked five wickets in four games with best figures of 2/16, Bhuvi has picked four wickets from four outings with best figures of 3/22.

Virat Kohli is set to return as the skipper after going on paternity leave during the ongoing series against Australia and one of the tougher calls will be to accommodate the likes of Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan, and Washington Sundar in the team for the Tests against England. After their inspiring show in the final game at The Gabba, it will be a little unfair if the big players return to take their positions back.

READ: R Ashwin & Bumrah Look To Rediscover Their Rhythm Ahead Of England Series Selection

England tour of India 2020/21

England will be visiting India for an all-format bilateral series that will go on for almost two months. The grueling tour with the English cricket team comprises four Test matches, five T20Is, and three ODIs up until March 28. The five-match Test series will also constitute a major part of the ongoing inaugural ICC World Test Championship.

The tour kicks off with the first Test that will be played in Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Meanwhile, the entire bilateral series has been restricted to just three venues by the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI committee. In an official statement by the Indian board, the decision for limited venues was made due to the coronavirus crisis that is prevailing in the country. The venues decided for the series are Chennai’s M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Ahmedabad’s Sardar Patel Stadium, and Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

READ: Steve Smith Comments On Starc's Hamstring Injury, Thinks He Will Be 'good To Go' On Day 5

Here's the entire schedule of England's tour of India:

Test series

1st Test:   5th-9th   Feb (Chennai)
2nd Test: 13th-17th Feb (Chennai)
3rd Test:  24th-28th Feb (Ahmedabad)
4th Test:   4th  8th Mar (Ahmedabad)

T20I series

1st T20I: 12th  Mar (Ahmedabad)
2nd T20I: 14th Mar (Ahmedabad)
3rd T20I: 16th Mar (Ahmedabad)
4th T20I: 18th Mar (Ahmedabad)
5th T20I: 20th Mar (Ahmedabad)

ODI series

1st ODI: 23rd Mar  (Pune)
2nd ODI: 26th Mar  (Pune)
3rd ODI: 28th Mar  (Pune)

READ: R Ashwin & Bumrah Look To Rediscover Their Rhythm Ahead Of England Series Selection

(With ANI Inputs)