Pujara or Rohit, Bumrah or Anderson – Four India v England Dream 11 fantasy choices

Less than 3 weeks since the historic Gabba Test came to an enthralling finish, India are set to take on England in their first home series since November 2019. This series will be another opportunity for fantasy players to crack the jackpot, and here we take you through a few India v England Dream 11 fantasy choices for the first Test.

India v England Dream 11 fantasy choice – Pujara or Rohit?

Rohit has a stellar Test record at home, averaging 88 after 20 innings. Opening the batting at home, that further increases to 93. Pujara’s lean drought at home since 2018 should also be considered, he scores 43 runs per innings compared to Rohit’s 93. Records at home favor Rohit Sharma.

It should be noted however that Pujara, the more established Test batsman of the two, has played 9 Tests vs England at home and averages 64.5 in those matches. On the other hand, Rohit has played a solitary Test against England and that was away from home, in which he scored just 34 runs across the match. When it comes to experience against their attack, Pujara has the upper hand.

Hence Cheteshwar Pujara, despite costing 0.5 credits more, is the better bet for the first Test.

India v England Dream 11 fantasy choice – Bumrah or Anderson?

Jasprit Bumrah will be making his home debut in Tests after 17 away Tests. His Ranji Trophy record is quite good, 91 wickets in 44 innings striking every 56 deliveries. That is excellent for a pace bowler in India, and everyone is aware of the talent he possesses.

Jimmy Anderson on the other hand will be playing his 5th Test series in these conditions and is coming on the back of a 6-fer in his last Test in Sri Lanka. He will want to improve his record in India, a country where he takes 12 overs per wicket (his 2nd worst bowling strike-rate in a country).

Considering the strength of the Indian batting lineup and his past record, Anderson is the riskier choice of the two. Jasprit Bumrah remains your safer option.

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India v England Dream 11 fantasy choice – Kuldeep or Axar?

Most signs point to India playing Ashwin, Kuldeep, Ishant, Bumrah as their four frontline bowlers along with an extra spinner or pacer to suit the conditions. The venue being Chepauk, the fifth bowler will likely be a spinner, and Axar Patel who offers the left-arm orthodox variety and being able to spin the ball away from right-handers might get the nod.

Axar, along with his overs as 5th bowler, will bat at 7 and give value there. He has a First-Class batting average of 35 and strikes every 11 overs with the ball. However, this match being his Test debut and international comeback after 3 long years, it might take a while to start performing.

Kuldeep has very good Test numbers in his short career at home. He has 14 wickets in 3 matches, taking less than 7 overs per wicket. Jadeja’s unfortunate injury gives him a chance to prove himself this series.

With Ravichandran Ashwin as your all-rounder for the match, Kuldeep Yadav is a better pick than Axar in Dream 11 Fantasy.

India v England Dream 11 fantasy choice – Rahane or Gill?

While it may seem like a silly question (Obviously Rahane is better!), it’s actually a valid one. Rahane since 2018 has had just one excellent series – in West Indies, 2019. All other series, he dazzles in one innings and frustrates in the rest.

Shubman Gill on the other hand, has amazing First-Class numbers in India. 1404 runs in 16 matches, and he’s maintained an average of 58.5 to go with 12 scores of fifty or more. Another thing in his favor is he’s an opener, who likes to deal in boundaries which is evident from his boundary percentage of 56 in FC cricket, which gives extra points in fantasy apps.

Furthermore, Gill at 8.5 credits is a cheaper option than Rahane at 9.