Familiar rivals in unfamiliar territory: India v England series preview

We preview the upcoming India v England Test series which comes on the back of an epic series win for India in Australia, and a very impressive win for England in Sri Lanka. While the teams prepare for fresh challenges in Chennai and Ahmedabad, they still have to contend with bio-bubbles, quarantines, injuries, and player rotation.

Talking Points

Context of the India-England rivalry over the years
The difference between perception of England's performances in India vs their relatively impressive record
Covid impact on the series - bubbles, scheduling, grounds, player fitness
Unknowns around the pitches. Just two Tests in Chennai in the last decade. Revamped Motera.
England's choice to rotate and rest players for a key series - what message does it convey and how could it affect the quality of their cricket?
How much should one read into England's 2-0 win in Sri Lanka?
How hard will it be for for India - both physically and mentally - to move on from such an epic series win in Australia?
Ashwin's fitness concerns, and England largely finding a way to tackle him home and away
How much would India miss Mohammad Shami and Ravindra Jadeja?
Possible team combinations for both teams
Would the standings in the World Test Championship have a say?
Predictions

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Arj (@Cricvestigate)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Related:

The Allrounders - 81allout podcast

Chepauk's accidental curator - Nagraj Gollapudi - ESPNcricinfo

How Joe Root's risk-free approach kickstarted the biggest year of his career - Tim Wigmore - The Telegraph

Likeable England face formidable India - Sky Sports podcast