India v England: Buoyed tourists ready to attack in the second Test

After an impressive first Test draw against India in Rajkot, England will head into the second encounter in fine fettle.

Alastair Cook’s men briefly had the hosts sweating too, having reduced India to 71-4 on the final day before a rally from Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Highlights for the tourists in the opening Test included yet more stunning performances with the bat by Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

Root hit 124 in the 1st innings, with Stokes topping that on 128, while Mooen Ali’s 117 ensued England put themselves in the best possible position early on.

And further signs of encouragement came from debutant Haseeb Hameed. After a steady 31 in the 1st innings, the 19-year-old hit a sublime 82 second time out, to hint towards a very bright Test future.

And we’re enhancing the Lancashire star to score a 50 in the 1^st Innings from 9/4 to 11/4.

So onto Visakhapatnam where the hosts are 4/6 favourites, with another draw 7/2 and England set to be well backed at 3/1.

This will be the first Test match played at the picturesque ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, but India have won five of six completed ODIs held at the venue.

But that shouldn’t deter Cook and his charges, with the lack of Test cricket arguably a neutralising factor for the hosts.

Plus – England head into the second clash boosted by the news that Jimmy Anderson has been declared fit to play.

Root – boasting a sensational 92.38 average versus India in Tests – has been enhanced to 10/3 (was 11/4) favourite to be England’s top 1^st Innings Runscorer.

Cook has also been enhanced to 4/1 from 10/3, with Hameed boosted to 6s from 5/1 to continue his impressive start to international cricket.

Meanwhile, Stokes is 13/2 to repeat his Rajkot heroics.

Adil Rashid is 5/2 to be England’s top 1^st Innings wicket-taker, following his four in the opening Test, with Moeen Ali at 11/4.

And it would be typical Anderson is he claimed the spoils at 9/2.

Captain Cook remains tops the betting to be the tourists leading Series runscorer at 13/8, with Root next in the betting at 7/4.

Click here for the latest India v England 2nd Test odds and specials.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing