HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Captain Ben Stokes won the toss and England opted to bat in the first cricket test against India beginning Thursday.

It's the first of a five-match series, where England’s much talked about fast-paced Bazball comes up against India’s turning ball and spin-friendly wickets.

England was the last team to beat India at home in a test series, when Alastair Cook’s side won 2-1 in 2012-13. Since, India has only lost three of 44 home tests, unbeaten in any test series at home.

The visitors had already announced their playing 11, which included debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley. Mark Wood is the lone pace bowler, backed up by wrist spinner Rehan Ahmed and left-arm spinner Jack Leach.

India also opted for three spinners with left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, as well as off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. It has also picked two pace bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Star batter

Virat Kohli pulled out of the first two tests due

to personal issues. It leaves a major hole in the Indian middle order, both in terms of runs and experience as its batting lineup undergoes a transition.

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Lineups:

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj,

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach

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AP cricket:

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