IND vs ENG 1st Test: Shahbaz Nadeem included in XI; Ishant, Bumrah and Ashwin return

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Team India returns to international cricket at home for the first time since the action came to a halt due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Team India is returning to international action at home after a gap of more than a year, as Chennai hosts the first Test of the four-match series against England. The game marks the return of international cricket for the first time in India since the sport came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India won the toss and opted to bat in the first Test of the series and the playing XI, for justifiable reasons, saw reasonable changes from the side which took on Australia in the final Test in Brisbane last month.

A plethora of injuries saw India field a rookie pace attack, with all of the side’s first-choice bowlers out with injuries. Jasprit Bumrah has returned to the side for the first Test in England, and so did Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma.

Among spinners, Washington Sundar has also retained his place, courtesy a stellar outing in the Brisbane Test. After Axar Patel was ruled out of the first Test with knee pain, Shahbaz Nadeem has been included in the XI - the left-arm spinner makes his second Test appearance for India.

Among batsmen, Indian captain Virat Kohli makes a comeback to the side after he returned to India in December, following the first Test against Australia in Adelaide. As he returns to the side, Rahane will assume his original position in the batting order as number-5 batsman.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will open the innings for the side, Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli and Rahane constitute the rest of the top-5. Rishabh Pant also retains his place in the side as the wicketkeeper-batsman, following a Man of the Match performance against Australia in the Brisbane Test.