Why India Chose to Bat First In Overcast Conditions During 1st T20I Against England?

The first T20I between England and India is being played at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, Durham. India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss under overcast skies and surprisingly chose to bat first.

The decision came as a bit of a surprise for the Indian fans as well as the cricket pundits. Adding to it, Iyer announced at the toss that Team India is going with three spinners for this match.

Why India Chose to Bat First in 1st T20I vs England?

Iyer didn't reveal any particular reason why India chose to bat first despite the conditions in Durham being overcast. However, he mentioned about being positive for the ENG vs IND 1st T20I match.

When asked about the surface, the Indian captain spoke about the presence of grass but added that he didn't know what to expect out of it. Clearly, India are looking to keep the pitch and conditions out of the equation and back their strengths.

The IND vs ENG overcast conditions suggested that the team winning the toss would bowl first. England captain Harry Brook also said that he was happy to bowl first under these conditions. The cricket experts on the live television were also surprised by this decision. But the Indian team management had other ideas.

Why India Are Playing With 3 Spinners?

Adding to it, India pulled out another surprise when they decided to play three spinners for this game. Since the conditions were overcast, the Men in Blue were predicted to play three seamers but they went the other way.

Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and the mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, both of whom didn't play the Ireland series, are a part of this match. All-rounder Axar Patel will be India's third spinner.

Chakravarthy's role will be important in this game as he is coming back from injury. He will be eager to prove his qualities as one of the best T20 bowlers going around. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are the only two pacers for Team India.

The Men in Blue have come into this series on the back of a humilating series defeat against Ireland. They will be hoping to turn things around here and prove why they are still the best T20 team, who won the 20-over World Cup a few months ago.