The Bazball era has brought about some exceptional and unexpected highs for England's Test team, but a five-match series in India will arguably be the sternest examination of Ben Stokes and his team to date.
Under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England have won 13 of the 18 Tests they have played since June 2022.
England's carefree attitude has, for the most part, left cricket fans on the edge of their seats, but India are a formidable force at home and have won all 16 of the Tests series they have played in India since losing 2-1 to England in 2012.
The series begins in Hyderabad on Thursday morning (4am), before moving on to Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and ending in Dharamsala at the beginning of March.
- England to have first-innings lead
- R Ashwin player of the match
- Joe Root top England runscorer
England Will Look To Start Positively
Draws are not in England's vocabulary under the stewardship of Stokes and McCullum - they have been involved in just one since the pair took the reins - and they will want to start positively in Hyderabad.
India are long odds-on to hold a first-innings lead but it may be worth swimming against the tide and backing England to be in front at the halfway stage.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett are a fearless opening pair who will look to take the game to India's bowlers, and there will be little respite for the hosts' attack with Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Stokes and Jonny Bairstow to come.
ENGLAND TO HAVE A FIRST-INNINGS LEAD
Ashwin To Torment Tourists Again
India spinner R Ashwin is deadly wherever he plays, but even more so on home soil.
Of Ashwin's 490 Test wickets, 377 have come in India (77%) and he was the scourge of England on their last visit to India in 2021.
Ashwin took 32 wickets in just four Tests, as well as hitting a century in a second Test success in Chennai, and in total he has taken 74 wickets against England in 13 Tests in India, including six five-fers and one ten-wicket match haul.
India have picked four spinners in their squad for the first two Tests and should Ashwin get the nod, England's batters could get an uneasy case of deja vu in the first contest.
He is a warm favourite to be India's leading first-inning wicket-taker but, given his potential impact with the bat lower down the order, take Ashwin to be named player of the match at more generous odds.
ASHWIN TO WIN MAN OF THE MATCH
Root To Offer Resistance
A 3-1 series defeat in India three years ago was the beginning of the end for Root's Test captaincy.
However, unburdened by the pressures of the top job, Root continues to be the glue that holds England's batting line-up together.
Harry Brook's withdrawal from the touring party due to personal reasons will place more responsibility on Root and skipper Stokes to deliver with the bat, and there is no questioning that the former is a worthy favourite to lead the way for England.
The Yorkshireman is by far the tourists' best player of spin and he has scored more runs against India (2,526) than any other Test nation he has faced.
Root scored a masterful double century in a first Test success in Chennai three years ago and he could again offer most resistance in the opening match of the series.
JOE ROOT TOP ENGLAND RUNSCORER
