Rohit Sharma in action (Courtesy: BCCI.TV)

Team India will host England in the first of the five-match Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, starting on Thursday. It will be a contest between India”s spinball and England”s bazball. The hosts have stamped their authority at home over the last 12 years. However, it will be a challenge for the Rohit Sharma-led side to maintain their dominance against the trend-defying English side.

The hosts have been invincible at home since 2012 when the Alastair Cook-led side defeated them 1-2. In this period, India has registered 16 successive series wins, including seven series sweeps. Notably, India has lost only three out of 44 Tests played at home during this period. This is a record that even the West Indies of the 80s or Australia did not enjoy.

India vs England: Test Records And Stats At Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

There are very few matches played on this venue. As Team India head coach Rahul Dravid suggested at the press conference, the pitch will have some spin as one would expect. But, generally, the pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is flat, which tends to slow down as the match progresses, indicating that the spinners will get more help than the pacers.

• Total Matches: 5
• Matches won batting first: 2
• Matches won bowling first: 2
• Average 1st innings score: 404
• Average 2nd innings score: 377
• Average 3rd innings score: 205
• Average 4th innings score: 131
• Highest total recorded: IND 687/6 vs BAN
• Lowest total recorded: WI 127/10 vs IND