India vs England test series: India opt to bat in first test

Nottingham: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat in the first test against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Wednesday.

The visitors, who have not played a five-test series on English soil since 1959, will look to take advantage of the perfect batting conditions with a relatively inexperienced side, handing all-rounder Stuart Binny his debut.

The under-pressure hosts, having suffered a 1-0 series defeat to Sri Lanka last month following the humiliating 5-0 Ashes debacle in Australia at the start of the year, will go in search of the first win of coach Peter Moore's second spell in charge.

All-rounder Ben Stokes returned to the England side, who have not won any of their last eight tests, after surgery on his wrist and joins a four-man seam attack at a ground renowned for swing.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Matt Prior also makes the team despite fears of tightness in his right thigh during training on Monday.

The series will be played without the aid of the decision review system, with India again refusing to agree to its use.

Teams:

India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami.

England: Alastair Cook (captain), Sam Robson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Matt Prior, Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad, Liam Plunkett, James Anderson.