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June is lucky for Indian cricket. But is there one luckiest date of them all? Those from the bygone years might argue that June 25 is the luckiest date – why? India lifted its first ICC title – an ODI World Cup on that date in 1983, beating the defending champions West Indies in a famous Lord's final. Fast forward almost 40 years, the Men in Blue won its second T20 World Cup title on June 29, 2024, in the Americas. But is there a date that holds more significance to Indian Test cricket, specifically? History and numbers suggest that it’s June 20.&nbsp;June 20 and Indian Test cricket have plenty to do with each other. Has India won anything major on this day? Perhaps not! Then what makes it special than other dates on the calendar?&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-end-1st-test-headingley-leeds-preview-shubman-gill-era-begins-as-team-india-launches-quest-for-history-in-uk-1750398005312">IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK</a> &nbsp;Of all the greatest Test cricketers the country has produced over the years, the three most significant ones made their respective Test debuts on June 20. Those three players were Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli.&nbsp; &nbsp;Known for shaping Indian cricket their way, each contributed massively both on and off the field. Besides being among the country’s biggest match winners, all three were fabulous captains and led India to scale massive heights at home and abroad, creating history almost everywhere. &nbsp;While Ganguly and Dravid were introduced to the Test scene on this day in 1996 during India’s Test against England at the Lord’s, Virat emerged on the Test side on June 20, 2011, debuting alongside opener Abhinav Mukund and seamer Praveen Kumar, against the West Indies.<h2>From 1996 till eternity &nbsp;</h2>Picked to play alongside the superstar Sachin Tendulkar, with whom this pair etched their name in history books countless times later on, Ganguly and Dravid enjoyed their maiden outings on English soil as Indian batters. While history remains kinder to Ganguly, who scored a hundred on debut, hitting a brilliant 131 batting at number three, it somewhere forgot to honour Dravid that much, who missed the same feat by just five runs in his debut outing, as he got out on 95 in the same innings. &nbsp;Years later, they finished their Test careers as one of the best in the game. While both played over 100 Tests for India, Dravid led the race for most runs scored between them; Ganguly, however, did more as a Test captain and was famous for saving Indian cricket following match-fixing scandals in the early 2000s. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Kohli’s emergence on the Test scene in 2011 changed Indian Cricket forever. Let alone being applauded for his run-scoring spree throughout his career, Kohli’s run as India’s Test captain has the world talking about it to date. Of his massive achievements as both batter and skipper, Kohli leading India to a Test series win Down Under (against Australia) made him the best-ever. &nbsp;However, all three are now retired, with Kohli being the latest to hang up his Test boots.&nbsp;Besides, another name is added to the list. On June 20, 2025, Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut ahead of day one of the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Test Cap number 3⃣1⃣7⃣ Congratulations to Sai Sudharsan, who is all set to make his Test Debut 🙌 Updates ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/CuzAEnBkyu">https://t.co/CuzAEnBkyu</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/wn8kaXdln6">pic.twitter.com/wn8kaXdln6</a>&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1935992504836669748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

India won its maiden ODI World Cup on June 25, 1983, and their second T20 World Cup title on June 29, 2024. But why is June 20 more famous?

June is lucky for Indian cricket. But is there one luckiest date of them all? Those from the bygone years might argue that June 25 is the luckiest date – why? India lifted its first ICC title – an ODI World Cup on that date in 1983, beating the defending champions West Indies in a famous Lord's final. Fast forward almost 40 years, the Men in Blue won its second T20 World Cup title on June 29, 2024, in the Americas. But is there a date that holds more significance to Indian Test cricket, specifically? History and numbers suggest that it’s June 20. June 20 and Indian Test cricket have plenty to do with each other. Has India won anything major on this day? Perhaps not! Then what makes it special than other dates on the calendar? Also read | IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK Of all the greatest Test cricketers the country has produced over the years, the three most significant ones made their respective Test debuts on June 20. Those three players were Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli. Known for shaping Indian cricket their way, each contributed massively both on and off the field. Besides being among the country’s biggest match winners, all three were fabulous captains and led India to scale massive heights at home and abroad, creating history almost everywhere. While Ganguly and Dravid were introduced to the Test scene on this day in 1996 during India’s Test against England at the Lord’s, Virat emerged on the Test side on June 20, 2011, debuting alongside opener Abhinav Mukund and seamer Praveen Kumar, against the West Indies. From 1996 till eternity Picked to play alongside the superstar Sachin Tendulkar, with whom this pair etched their name in history books countless times later on, Ganguly and Dravid enjoyed their maiden outings on English soil as Indian batters. While history remains kinder to Ganguly, who scored a hundred on debut, hitting a brilliant 131 batting at number three, it somewhere forgot to honour Dravid that much, who missed the same feat by just five runs in his debut outing, as he got out on 95 in the same innings. Years later, they finished their Test careers as one of the best in the game. While both played over 100 Tests for India, Dravid led the race for most runs scored between them; Ganguly, however, did more as a Test captain and was famous for saving Indian cricket following match-fixing scandals in the early 2000s. Meanwhile, Kohli’s emergence on the Test scene in 2011 changed Indian Cricket forever. Let alone being applauded for his run-scoring spree throughout his career, Kohli’s run as India’s Test captain has the world talking about it to date. Of his massive achievements as both batter and skipper, Kohli leading India to a Test series win Down Under (against Australia) made him the best-ever. However, all three are now retired, with Kohli being the latest to hang up his Test boots. Besides, another name is added to the list. On June 20, 2025, Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut ahead of day one of the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds.

India won its maiden ODI World Cup on June 25, 1983, and their second T20 World Cup title on June 29, 2024. But why is June 20 more famous?

Is June 20 the luckiest date for Indian Test Cricket? History and numbers suggest so!

The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) comes every year. But not everyone gets a chance to captain India in Tests outside of home, and even though those who get to live this honour might not have more than one or two series under their belts. The newly-appointed Indian captain, Shubman Gill, feels the same ahead of leading his team out for the first Test between England and India starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. When asked about prioritising between winning an IPL trophy and lifting one for India in Tests abroad, he didn’t take more than a second to answer.&nbsp;Gill has won an IPL trophy with Gujarat Titans in its maiden appearance (in 2022) but not as a captain. Besides leading GT in the concluded IPL 2025, where his team finished inside the top four but failed to advance through, Gill led India in five T20Is against Zimbabwe last year, winning the series 4-1. With the marquee England series being his first as a full-fledged captain (in Tests), Gill has a whole new world to explore and excel in.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-sachin-tendulkar-expects-something-special-from-captain-shubman-gill-in-england-predicts-test-series-scoreline-1750403012299">Sachin Tendulkar expects ‘something special’ from India captain Gill on England tour, predicts series scoreline</a> &nbsp;Addressing the media in the pre-game presser, Gill picked one of the two, saying, "Definitely the Test series, in my opinion. You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England, maybe two; if you are the best of your generation, maybe three.&nbsp; &nbsp;“And IPL comes every year, and you get to have a crack at it every year. So in my opinion, winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa is bigger,” he continued.&nbsp;<h2>Setting goals &nbsp;</h2>With no Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma around, the onus would fall on three experienced batters, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and captain Gill himself, to bail the team out in challenging conditions and situations. Without burdening himself much on the captaincy and batting front, Gill said, &nbsp;"Honestly, when I want to go out there and bat, I just want to play as a batsman, not really want to think that I'm the captain of the team, because I think that sometimes puts too much pressure on you. Whenever I'm going out there, I want to play as a batsman and want to want to dominate the opposition and be the best batsman in the series, and that's what I'm trying to look at."

Shubman Gill picks between winning Test series abroad and lifting an IPL trophy

The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) comes every year. But not everyone gets a chance to captain India in Tests outside of home, and even though those who get to live this honour might not have more than one or two series under their belts. The newly-appointed Indian captain, Shubman Gill, feels the same ahead of leading his team out for the first Test between England and India starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. When asked about prioritising between winning an IPL trophy and lifting one for India in Tests abroad, he didn’t take more than a second to answer. Gill has won an IPL trophy with Gujarat Titans in its maiden appearance (in 2022) but not as a captain. Besides leading GT in the concluded IPL 2025, where his team finished inside the top four but failed to advance through, Gill led India in five T20Is against Zimbabwe last year, winning the series 4-1. With the marquee England series being his first as a full-fledged captain (in Tests), Gill has a whole new world to explore and excel in. Also read | Sachin Tendulkar expects ‘something special’ from India captain Gill on England tour, predicts series scoreline Addressing the media in the pre-game presser, Gill picked one of the two, saying, "Definitely the Test series, in my opinion. You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England, maybe two; if you are the best of your generation, maybe three. “And IPL comes every year, and you get to have a crack at it every year. So in my opinion, winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa is bigger,” he continued. Setting goals With no Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma around, the onus would fall on three experienced batters, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and captain Gill himself, to bail the team out in challenging conditions and situations. Without burdening himself much on the captaincy and batting front, Gill said, "Honestly, when I want to go out there and bat, I just want to play as a batsman, not really want to think that I'm the captain of the team, because I think that sometimes puts too much pressure on you. Whenever I'm going out there, I want to play as a batsman and want to want to dominate the opposition and be the best batsman in the series, and that's what I'm trying to look at."

When asked about prioritising between winning an IPL trophy and lifting one for India in Tests abroad, he didn’t take more than a second to answer.

‘It comes every year…’: Shubman Gill picks between winning Test series abroad and lifting an IPL trophy

When India and England face off in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, on Friday (Jun 20), a lot will feel new, especially for India. Under the new leadership of Shubman Gill, the Indian Test team is stepping into a new era after legends like Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma bid farewell to red-ball cricket.&nbsp;&nbsp;But there’s one familiar face on the other side. For England, former captain Joe Root is the only player from their 2021 Headingley XI who will also be part of the 2025 playing XI. A lot has changed in these four years for England, but Root’s presence and consistency remain constant.&nbsp;Also Read | IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK&nbsp;Back in 2021, Root led England to a dominant win over India in Leeds. He scored a brilliant 121, and England won that match by an innings and 76 runs. Ollie Robinson, who was the Player of the Match back then with seven wickets, is not in the squad this time. Root’s experience will be key, especially with so many fresh faces around.&nbsp;England's 2021 lineup included names like Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, James Anderson and Craig Overton, most of whom have either retired or are no longer in contention. Moeen, Anderson and Malan have stepped away from the game, while Bairstow and Buttler last played in 2024 and 2022, respectively. Hameed, despite strong performances in county cricket, hasn’t made a return yet.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the 2025 squad is young and exciting, featuring players like Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir. But among them, Root stands tall as the experienced pillar. With 121 Tests and over 13,000 runs, he brings calmness and class to a fresh England team.&nbsp;As England takes the field with a new lineup, Joe Root’s role becomes even more important.

The 2025 squad is young and exciting, featuring players like Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir. But among them, Root stands tall as the experienced pillar.

When India and England face off in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, on Friday (Jun 20), a lot will feel new, especially for India. Under the new leadership of Shubman Gill, the Indian Test team is stepping into a new era after legends like Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma bid farewell to red-ball cricket. But there’s one familiar face on the other side. For England, former captain Joe Root is the only player from their 2021 Headingley XI who will also be part of the 2025 playing XI. A lot has changed in these four years for England, but Root’s presence and consistency remain constant. Also Read | IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK Back in 2021, Root led England to a dominant win over India in Leeds. He scored a brilliant 121, and England won that match by an innings and 76 runs. Ollie Robinson, who was the Player of the Match back then with seven wickets, is not in the squad this time. Root’s experience will be key, especially with so many fresh faces around. England's 2021 lineup included names like Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, James Anderson and Craig Overton, most of whom have either retired or are no longer in contention. Moeen, Anderson and Malan have stepped away from the game, while Bairstow and Buttler last played in 2024 and 2022, respectively. Hameed, despite strong performances in county cricket, hasn’t made a return yet. Meanwhile, the 2025 squad is young and exciting, featuring players like Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir. But among them, Root stands tall as the experienced pillar. With 121 Tests and over 13,000 runs, he brings calmness and class to a fresh England team. As England takes the field with a new lineup, Joe Root’s role becomes even more important.

The 2025 squad is young and exciting, featuring players like Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir. But among them, Root stands tall as the experienced pillar.

Meet the only England player to feature in Headingley Test vs India in 2021 and 2025

Batting giant Sachin Tendulkar has thrown his support behind the new Indian Test captain Shubman Gill to do ‘something special’ on the England tour, starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. As Gill embraces his new role, succeeding now-retired Rohit Sharma to become the 37th Indian Test skipper, Sachin asked him to shut all outside doors and pay no heed to all the opinions and noise coming his way. Sachin, who led India across 25 matches during his tenure, advised Gill to back his instincts, follow whatever was discussed inside the dressing room, and stick to the plan.&nbsp;"My advice to him [Gill] would be that he should not worry about what x, y, z is saying," Tendulkar said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo.&nbsp;&nbsp;"His captaincy, whether Shubman is being aggressive, or defensive, or attacking enough, or not a proactive captain, or active captain - whatever that opinion is, it's only an opinion, and it's from outside. I think what he needs to think about is what was discussed in the dressing room - when they are planning something, are they going according to that plan and whether the decision being made is in the interests of the team - that is what he needs to think about and not about the outside world,” he continued.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-end-1st-test-headingley-leeds-preview-shubman-gill-era-begins-as-team-india-launches-quest-for-history-in-uk-1750398005312">IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK</a> &nbsp;Meanwhile, Sachin also acknowledged how big an honour it is for him (Gill) to captain India in Tests and that he must enjoy this and try and give his best for his country.&nbsp; &nbsp;"The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it's a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process,” Sachin continued.<h2>Series prediction &nbsp;</h2>Sachin has played plenty of cricket in England. From scoring his maiden Test hundred in Manchester in 1989 to helping India clinch a Test series win on English soil in 2007, the Little Master has seen all.&nbsp; &nbsp;Reflecting on what it was like winning in England against a potent squad, Sachin said everyone contributed to unlocking that massive achievement.&nbsp;As he continued to cherish the memories of that tour, which India won 1-0 (3), Sachin said,&nbsp; &nbsp;"Winning the series was a fabulous, fabulous moment - that is what we strive for. There were multiple good performances by individuals… Zaheer [Khan] played a role. I think everyone coming together and then chipping in at the right time makes a big difference. I still remember we were in the dressing room, celebrating at The Oval, the last Test. These kinds of moments stay with you forever. We're still talking about it 18 years down the line. I hope we're able to do something this series too, so 20 years down the line, we can still talk about it." &nbsp;Meanwhile, predicting the result of the upcoming five-match series, Sachin said, "I have settled for 3-1 to India."

Sachin, who led India across 25 matches during his tenure, advised Gill to back his instincts, follow whatever was discussed inside the dressing room, and stick to the plan.

Batting giant Sachin Tendulkar has thrown his support behind the new Indian Test captain Shubman Gill to do ‘something special’ on the England tour, starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. As Gill embraces his new role, succeeding now-retired Rohit Sharma to become the 37th Indian Test skipper, Sachin asked him to shut all outside doors and pay no heed to all the opinions and noise coming his way. Sachin, who led India across 25 matches during his tenure, advised Gill to back his instincts, follow whatever was discussed inside the dressing room, and stick to the plan. "My advice to him [Gill] would be that he should not worry about what x, y, z is saying," Tendulkar said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. "His captaincy, whether Shubman is being aggressive, or defensive, or attacking enough, or not a proactive captain, or active captain - whatever that opinion is, it's only an opinion, and it's from outside. I think what he needs to think about is what was discussed in the dressing room - when they are planning something, are they going according to that plan and whether the decision being made is in the interests of the team - that is what he needs to think about and not about the outside world,” he continued. Also read | IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK Meanwhile, Sachin also acknowledged how big an honour it is for him (Gill) to captain India in Tests and that he must enjoy this and try and give his best for his country. "The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it's a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process,” Sachin continued. Series prediction Sachin has played plenty of cricket in England. From scoring his maiden Test hundred in Manchester in 1989 to helping India clinch a Test series win on English soil in 2007, the Little Master has seen all. Reflecting on what it was like winning in England against a potent squad, Sachin said everyone contributed to unlocking that massive achievement. As he continued to cherish the memories of that tour, which India won 1-0 (3), Sachin said, "Winning the series was a fabulous, fabulous moment - that is what we strive for. There were multiple good performances by individuals… Zaheer [Khan] played a role. I think everyone coming together and then chipping in at the right time makes a big difference. I still remember we were in the dressing room, celebrating at The Oval, the last Test. These kinds of moments stay with you forever. We're still talking about it 18 years down the line. I hope we're able to do something this series too, so 20 years down the line, we can still talk about it." Meanwhile, predicting the result of the upcoming five-match series, Sachin said, "I have settled for 3-1 to India."

Sachin, who led India across 25 matches during his tenure, advised Gill to back his instincts, follow whatever was discussed inside the dressing room, and stick to the plan.

Sachin Tendulkar expects ‘something special’ from India captain Gill on England tour, predicts series scoreline

The Shubman Gill era begins in Indian Cricket. The Prince, the successor or whatever the fans and cricket fanatics wish to call him, the time has come for him to carry forward the vast legacy left behind by countless Indian captains. As Gill embraces his new role in the Test side, alongside a newer batting position, as also confirmed by his deputy Rishabh Pant in the pre-match presser, he aims to launch a quest for creating history in the UK by winning his maiden series as the skipper, the last of which came under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy in 2007, when India won the three-match series 1-0.&nbsp;Here is the match preview of the first Test between India and England starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds.<h2>Match Preview &nbsp;</h2>Team India begins its new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-27) with an away tour of England, consisting of five Tests. With Headingley in Leeds staging the series opener, India has a crucial task at hand to deliver at the start and remain in line for a series win in the UK for the first time in 18 years.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-aus-2025-australia-drop-former-world-number-one-batter-marnus-labuschagne-for-first-test-against-west-indies-steve-smith-finger-injury-1750394458847">Australia drop former world no one for first Test against West Indies; Steve Smith also misses out</a> &nbsp;Despite not having Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (as all are now retired from Tests), alongside seamer Mohammed Shami due to match fitness concerns, Team India picked several newcomers and young legs for their away English tour. With a few uncapped players in the squad, besides those who featured in just a handful of matches thus far, the Gill-led Indian Team has plenty of options to choose from and explore during this two-month window. &nbsp;However, what stands out is the pace attack, led by perhaps the best Indian seamer ever, Jasprit Bumrah. Considering the depth in that department, Gill was confident of winning matches on the back of his bowlers picking 20 wickets across all games, also echoing the same during the presser on match eve.&nbsp; &nbsp;"You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters, and you could see a bowling all-rounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers,” Gill said ahead of the first Test against England.<h3>England ready to rock and roll &nbsp;</h3>Despite failing to qualify for the third consecutive WTC Final, which concluded last week (with South Africa beating Australia), England captain Ben Stokes insists on entertaining the fans with their brand of cricket, which the world now calls ‘Bazball.’ &nbsp;Although they have named their playing XI for the series opener against India, it remains to be seen if they deploy caution in their approach at any point during this entire five-match saga. &nbsp;Meanwhile, unlike the Indian Team, which has a new look and shows promise across different fronts, the hosts have a settled batting and bowling attack.&nbsp;<h3>Predicted/Playing XIs – &nbsp;</h3>England – Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir &nbsp;India (Predicted) – Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj&nbsp;

Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK

The Shubman Gill era begins in Indian Cricket. The Prince, the successor or whatever the fans and cricket fanatics wish to call him, the time has come for him to carry forward the vast legacy left behind by countless Indian captains. As Gill embraces his new role in the Test side, alongside a newer batting position, as also confirmed by his deputy Rishabh Pant in the pre-match presser, he aims to launch a quest for creating history in the UK by winning his maiden series as the skipper, the last of which came under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy in 2007, when India won the three-match series 1-0. Here is the match preview of the first Test between India and England starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. Match Preview Team India begins its new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-27) with an away tour of England, consisting of five Tests. With Headingley in Leeds staging the series opener, India has a crucial task at hand to deliver at the start and remain in line for a series win in the UK for the first time in 18 years. Also read | Australia drop former world no one for first Test against West Indies; Steve Smith also misses out Despite not having Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (as all are now retired from Tests), alongside seamer Mohammed Shami due to match fitness concerns, Team India picked several newcomers and young legs for their away English tour. With a few uncapped players in the squad, besides those who featured in just a handful of matches thus far, the Gill-led Indian Team has plenty of options to choose from and explore during this two-month window. However, what stands out is the pace attack, led by perhaps the best Indian seamer ever, Jasprit Bumrah. Considering the depth in that department, Gill was confident of winning matches on the back of his bowlers picking 20 wickets across all games, also echoing the same during the presser on match eve. "You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters, and you could see a bowling all-rounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers,” Gill said ahead of the first Test against England. England ready to rock and roll Despite failing to qualify for the third consecutive WTC Final, which concluded last week (with South Africa beating Australia), England captain Ben Stokes insists on entertaining the fans with their brand of cricket, which the world now calls ‘Bazball.’ Although they have named their playing XI for the series opener against India, it remains to be seen if they deploy caution in their approach at any point during this entire five-match saga. Meanwhile, unlike the Indian Team, which has a new look and shows promise across different fronts, the hosts have a settled batting and bowling attack. Predicted/Playing XIs – England – Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir India (Predicted) – Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj

Here is the match preview of the first Test between India and England starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds.

IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK

Australia has made some bold calls following conceding their WTC crown to the Proteas by dropping the former world number one Test batter Marnus Labuschagne for the series opener against West Indies, starting June 25 in Barbados. While Marnus’ exclusion comes on the back of his lean patch in the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-27), not having veteran batter Steve Smith available for the first Test comes as a massive blow to the visitors. Smith, who dislocated his little finger on the right hand while attempting to complete a catch against South Africa during the Lord’s final, sits out of the playing XI, with the Aussies roping in replacements.&nbsp;Rookie opener Sam Konstas returns to the side after missing out on a spot in Sri Lanka (Australia's last Test series) and the WTC Final, and Australia also recalled in-form batter Josh Inglis to play in place of Smith in Barbados. The visitors confirmed two changes five days before the start of the first of the three Tests between West Indies and Australia.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-closer-to-god-how-india-series-could-cut-gap-between-sachin-tendulkar-joe-root-1750333731233">IND vs ENG: Closer to God! How India Test series could cut gap between Sachin and Root</a> &nbsp;"Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team," CA chief selector George Bailey said. "He understands his output hasn't been at the level we, or he, expects. We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively." &nbsp;While Konstas earned his third Test cap since making his explosive Test debut against India at the MCG late last year, Inglis, who scored a Test hundred in his first game against Sri Lanka in Galle earlier in February, is ready for a golden chance. &nbsp;Sam, the right-handed batter, scored a fiery 60 off 65 balls against Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian attack on day one of the Boxing Day, including scooping the world’s best bowler for fours and sixes for fun, while Inglis, on the other hand, impressed everyone on a spinning Galle track against perhaps the toughest bowlers in those conditions, pushing his case for a future selection. &nbsp;"We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers. &nbsp;"In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition,” Bailey continued.&nbsp; &nbsp;Meanwhile, Australia will confirm the playing XI for the first Test closer to the D-day.&nbsp;

The visitors confirmed two changes five days before the start of the first of the three Tests between West Indies and Australia.

Australia has made some bold calls following conceding their WTC crown to the Proteas by dropping the former world number one Test batter Marnus Labuschagne for the series opener against West Indies, starting June 25 in Barbados. While Marnus’ exclusion comes on the back of his lean patch in the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-27), not having veteran batter Steve Smith available for the first Test comes as a massive blow to the visitors. Smith, who dislocated his little finger on the right hand while attempting to complete a catch against South Africa during the Lord’s final, sits out of the playing XI, with the Aussies roping in replacements. Rookie opener Sam Konstas returns to the side after missing out on a spot in Sri Lanka (Australia's last Test series) and the WTC Final, and Australia also recalled in-form batter Josh Inglis to play in place of Smith in Barbados. The visitors confirmed two changes five days before the start of the first of the three Tests between West Indies and Australia. Also read | IND vs ENG: Closer to God! How India Test series could cut gap between Sachin and Root "Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team," CA chief selector George Bailey said. "He understands his output hasn't been at the level we, or he, expects. We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively." While Konstas earned his third Test cap since making his explosive Test debut against India at the MCG late last year, Inglis, who scored a Test hundred in his first game against Sri Lanka in Galle earlier in February, is ready for a golden chance. Sam, the right-handed batter, scored a fiery 60 off 65 balls against Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian attack on day one of the Boxing Day, including scooping the world’s best bowler for fours and sixes for fun, while Inglis, on the other hand, impressed everyone on a spinning Galle track against perhaps the toughest bowlers in those conditions, pushing his case for a future selection. "We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers. "In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition,” Bailey continued. Meanwhile, Australia will confirm the playing XI for the first Test closer to the D-day.

The visitors confirmed two changes five days before the start of the first of the three Tests between West Indies and Australia.

Australia drop former world no. one for first Test against West Indies; Steve Smith also misses out

India's newly appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill says that they'll be going for 20 wickets as that's the only way any team wins a Test match. The comments on the eve of first Test against England which starts June 20. This would be the first time India are going to play without Ravi Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - all of whom retired - as they enter into a new era. Gill, however, was wary of India's batting depth and pointed that that there could a bowling allrounder to accompany four proper bowlers. This indicates that Shardul Thakur might get preference over Nitish Reddy."Yes, definitely," Gill said in response to the question on the eve of Test match when asked if they'd be going for 20 wickets. “You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters and you could see a bowling allrounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers.”Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/what-is-tendulkar-solid-defence-advice-for-attacking-indian-batters-in-ind-vs-eng-test-series-1750351813096">IND vs ENG: Tendulkar shares 'solid defence' advice for attacking Indian batters</a>Taking Gill's statement into consideration, India's playing XI may look like as following:Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed SirajGill's thinking behind playing four seamers could also be based on the fact that pacers have taken about 85% of the wickets in the last five Tests.The pitch at Leeds offers good support to fast bowlers. Apart from England spinner Jack Leech's five-wicket haul in both innings against New Zealand in 2022, spinners have not had much success at Headingley.Also, in the last five matches, most teams batting first were all out for less than 200 and the team chasing won four times with the average target for chasing being just under 300 runs (298 runs to be precise).

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: India's playing XI may look like as following - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

India's newly appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill says that they'll be going for 20 wickets as that's the only way any team wins a Test match. The comments on the eve of first Test against England which starts June 20. This would be the first time India are going to play without Ravi Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - all of whom retired - as they enter into a new era. Gill, however, was wary of India's batting depth and pointed that that there could a bowling allrounder to accompany four proper bowlers. This indicates that Shardul Thakur might get preference over Nitish Reddy. "Yes, definitely," Gill said in response to the question on the eve of Test match when asked if they'd be going for 20 wickets. “You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters and you could see a bowling allrounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers.” Also Read - IND vs ENG: Tendulkar shares 'solid defence' advice for attacking Indian batters Taking Gill's statement into consideration, India's playing XI may look like as following: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj Gill's thinking behind playing four seamers could also be based on the fact that pacers have taken about 85% of the wickets in the last five Tests. The pitch at Leeds offers good support to fast bowlers. Apart from England spinner Jack Leech's five-wicket haul in both innings against New Zealand in 2022, spinners have not had much success at Headingley. Also, in the last five matches, most teams batting first were all out for less than 200 and the team chasing won four times with the average target for chasing being just under 300 runs (298 runs to be precise).

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: India's playing XI may look like as following - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

IND vs ENG: Shardul Thankur over Nitish Reddy in playing XI? Captain Gill vows go after '20 wickets'

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has an invaluable piece of advice for Indian batters as they get ready for the first of five Tests against England in Headingley, Leeds from June 20. Tendulkar, who played 17 Tests in England and scored 1,574 runs at an astonishing average of 54.31 with four ton and eight fifties, wants Indian batters to have a 'solid defence' against the England fast bowlers. Such in the inexperience of Indian batters that England batter Joe Root has more hundreds than entire Indian squad combined. India, under newly appointed skipper Shubman Gill, will be hoping to act on Tendulkar's advice.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-1st-test-match-prediction-what-should-india-do-after-winning-toss-and-how-much-is-par-score-1750349099064">IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss and how much is par score - check inside</a>"There are three things which one needs to respect: overhead conditions, the wind, and the pitch," he said as reported by ESPNCricinfo. "I feel something that all batters should think about and consider is a good, solid front-foot defence to a fast bowler. If you can defend well on the front foot to a fast bowler, then the rest of the things will fall into place. It is important to keep your hands close to your body, have a solid front-foot defence. The balls which are meant to be hit are, anyway, going to go ahead because they all are attacking players. But the balls which are not meant to be hit, that is when the hands will go away from the body, and a dismissal could cost the game. So a good, solid defence on the front foot is going to be a key factor."Tendulkar also has an advice for Gill and said that he should 'shut the doors' and just focus on what is in the interest of the country."The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it's a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process," added the little master.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Tendulkar also has an advice for Gill and said that he should 'shut the doors' and just focus on what is in the interest of the country.

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has an invaluable piece of advice for Indian batters as they get ready for the first of five Tests against England in Headingley, Leeds from June 20. Tendulkar, who played 17 Tests in England and scored 1,574 runs at an astonishing average of 54.31 with four ton and eight fifties, wants Indian batters to have a 'solid defence' against the England fast bowlers. Such in the inexperience of Indian batters that England batter Joe Root has more hundreds than entire Indian squad combined. India, under newly appointed skipper Shubman Gill, will be hoping to act on Tendulkar's advice. Also Read: IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss and how much is par score - check inside "There are three things which one needs to respect: overhead conditions, the wind, and the pitch," he said as reported by ESPNCricinfo. "I feel something that all batters should think about and consider is a good, solid front-foot defence to a fast bowler. If you can defend well on the front foot to a fast bowler, then the rest of the things will fall into place. It is important to keep your hands close to your body, have a solid front-foot defence. The balls which are meant to be hit are, anyway, going to go ahead because they all are attacking players. But the balls which are not meant to be hit, that is when the hands will go away from the body, and a dismissal could cost the game. So a good, solid defence on the front foot is going to be a key factor." Tendulkar also has an advice for Gill and said that he should 'shut the doors' and just focus on what is in the interest of the country. "The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it's a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process," added the little master.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Tendulkar also has an advice for Gill and said that he should 'shut the doors' and just focus on what is in the interest of the country.

IND vs ENG: Tendulkar shares 'solid defence' advice for attacking Indian batters

India are ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill. This is India’s first Test series after a 162-day break. The last time they played a Test was in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Looking at the last five Test matches at Headingley, teams that batted second have won four times. Teams batting first have won just once. This shows that the toss will be very important, as the pitch mostly helps teams that bat second.Match Prediction: IND vs ENG, 1st Test at HeadingleyIf a team bats first, a score of 250 to 270 runs in the first innings is usually good. In the last five matches, most teams batting first were all out for less than 200.The pitch is good for chasing. In the last five games, the team chasing won four times, and the average target for chasing has been just under 300 runs (298 runs to be precise).Teams batting second have won 80% of the last five matches.Also Read - IND vs ENG 2025: 5 Indian players to watch out for in Test seriesSpinners are effective or pacersPacers have taken about 85% of the wickets in the last five Tests. The pitch at Leeds offers good support to fast bowlers. Apart from Jack Leech's five-wicket haul in both innings against New Zealand in 2022, spinners have not had much success at Headingley.Match ScenariosIf India bat first:India should aim for 300-330 runs in the first innings. With top pacers like Bumrah and Arshdeep, they can try to bowl out England for a low total and set a big target in the last innings.If India bat second:They must try to bowl out England for under 250 runs. A big chase could be tough against England’s strong pace attack at home.If England bat first:England should aim for 330-350 runs in the first innings. This will put pressure on the young Indian side, as many of their batters are still new at this level. England’s bowlers like Tongue and Woakes on their home pitches can make things difficult for Indian batters.If England bat second:If bowling first, England should try to keep India under 250 runs. This will give them the upper hand, as India also has a powerful bowling attack led by Bumrah and Siraj.Predicted Playing XIsEngland (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib BashirIndia (predicted XI's): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj&nbsp;

India is ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill. 

India are ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill. This is India’s first Test series after a 162-day break. The last time they played a Test was in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Looking at the last five Test matches at Headingley, teams that batted second have won four times. Teams batting first have won just once. This shows that the toss will be very important, as the pitch mostly helps teams that bat second. Match Prediction: IND vs ENG, 1st Test at Headingley If a team bats first, a score of 250 to 270 runs in the first innings is usually good. In the last five matches, most teams batting first were all out for less than 200. The pitch is good for chasing. In the last five games, the team chasing won four times, and the average target for chasing has been just under 300 runs (298 runs to be precise). Teams batting second have won 80% of the last five matches. Also Read - IND vs ENG 2025: 5 Indian players to watch out for in Test series Spinners are effective or pacers Pacers have taken about 85% of the wickets in the last five Tests. The pitch at Leeds offers good support to fast bowlers. Apart from Jack Leech's five-wicket haul in both innings against New Zealand in 2022, spinners have not had much success at Headingley. Match Scenarios If India bat first: India should aim for 300-330 runs in the first innings. With top pacers like Bumrah and Arshdeep, they can try to bowl out England for a low total and set a big target in the last innings. If India bat second: They must try to bowl out England for under 250 runs. A big chase could be tough against England’s strong pace attack at home. If England bat first: England should aim for 330-350 runs in the first innings. This will put pressure on the young Indian side, as many of their batters are still new at this level. England’s bowlers like Tongue and Woakes on their home pitches can make things difficult for Indian batters. If England bat second: If bowling first, England should try to keep India under 250 runs. This will give them the upper hand, as India also has a powerful bowling attack led by Bumrah and Siraj. Predicted Playing XIs England (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir India (predicted XI's): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

India is ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill.&nbsp;

IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss and how much is par score - check inside

England may have become the most attacking Test team in the world since taking on the Bazball philosophy but skipper Ben Stokes want the team to be 'smarter in those situations' when they are behind in the game. The comments, given to BBC Sport, was made one day out of the start of English summer before they take on India in the first of five Tests to kick off World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27. England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20."It's just being smarter in those situations when it's obvious that the opposition is on top of us," he said. "We just felt like, as a team, that the area of improvement… is actually soaking up that pressure, and allowing ourselves a better opportunity to then apply the pressure back onto [the opposition] in the way that we know we can.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-listen-to-everybody-but-ex-skipper-kapil-advice-to-new-test-captain-shubman-gill-1750345076760">IND vs ENG: 'Listen to everybody, but...,' ex-skipper Kapil to new Test captain Shubman Gill</a>"When we have lost, we probably look back on those moments [and think], 'Could we have been a lot better at slowing everything down, and understanding where we are in the position of the game to then allow us to play in that natural way that we like to go about things?' Having those reflective moments and honest conversations within the group is what can take teams to the next level," added Stokes.Predicted Playing XIs England (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib BashirIndia (predicted): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20 in first of five Tests.

England may have become the most attacking Test team in the world since taking on the Bazball philosophy but skipper Ben Stokes want the team to be 'smarter in those situations' when they are behind in the game. The comments, given to BBC Sport, was made one day out of the start of English summer before they take on India in the first of five Tests to kick off World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27. England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20. "It's just being smarter in those situations when it's obvious that the opposition is on top of us," he said. "We just felt like, as a team, that the area of improvement… is actually soaking up that pressure, and allowing ourselves a better opportunity to then apply the pressure back onto [the opposition] in the way that we know we can. Also Read - IND vs ENG: 'Listen to everybody, but...,' ex-skipper Kapil to new Test captain Shubman Gill "When we have lost, we probably look back on those moments [and think], 'Could we have been a lot better at slowing everything down, and understanding where we are in the position of the game to then allow us to play in that natural way that we like to go about things?' Having those reflective moments and honest conversations within the group is what can take teams to the next level," added Stokes. Predicted Playing XIs England (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir India (predicted): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20 in first of five Tests.

IND vs ENG: U-turn on Bazball? Skipper Stokes wants England to be 'smarter in those situations'

The England-India Test series was recently renamed to the Tendulkar-Anderson trophy. Similarly, let's have a look at the five iconic Test series played in cricket.

The England-India Test series was recently renamed to the Tendulkar-Anderson trophy. Similarly, let's have a look at the five iconic Test series played in cricket.

In Pics | Look at the five iconic Test series in world cricket

Shubman Gill is set to embark on a new chapter in his cricketing journey as he takes over the reins of the Indian Test team for the first time. Leading the national side in red-ball cricket is often considered one of the most demanding jobs in world cricket — and Gill has inherited the mantle at a crucial time. The Indian team will take the field without three modern-day stalwarts — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom have retired from Test cricket following India tour of Australia (BGT 2024-25) - which the visitors lost 1-3. Their absence marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a bold, new one under Gill's captaincy.As expected, the 25-year-old is surrounded by a storm of opinions, advice, and expectations, but among the many voices offering guidance, one stands out — India's first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev - also one of the three Indian skippers to win a Test series in England.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-england-name-playing-xi-for-hit-through-the-line-pitch-at-headingley-test-vs-india-1750264461375">IND vs ENG: Only four specialist bowlers in playing XI as England ask for 'hit through the line' pitch for Headingley Test</a>"Just go and enjoy yourself. Listen to everybody, but do what you think is best — because the selectors chose you to lead the side,” Kapil Dev said in a message of encouragement in an exclusive interview to WION on Wednesday (Jun 18). “Nobody is better than you at this stage. That’s why you're the captain. Just express yourself,” he added, urging Gill to tune out negativity and play with freedom.India’s History in EnglandIndia’s first Test series win on English soil came in 1971 under Ajit Wadekar, who guided the team to a historic 1-0 win in a three-match series. It wasn’t until 1986 that India conquered England again, this time under Kapil Dev’s leadership, with a dominant 2-0 series win in three-Test series.Then came a long drought - India failed to win a single Test series in England for the next 21 years — until Rahul Dravid and his men stunned the hosts in 2007 with a memorable 1-0 victory in a three-match series.Now, 18 years later, Gill and his youthful squad will aim to break the jinx again when the first Test of the five-match series kicks off at Headingley on June 20, marking the beginning of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India and England.Since making his Test debut in December 2020, Shubman Gill has shown flashes of brilliance, scoring 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05. Known for his elegant stroke-play and composure at the crease, Gill will now shoulder the additional responsibility of leadership — and a new batting role.At a pre-match press conference, his deputy Rishabh Pant confirmed that Gill will move down to No. 4 in the batting order, filling the void left by the legendary Virat Kohli. Kohli, who amassed 9,230 Test runs including 30 centuries, leaves behind a massive legacy — and a crucial middle-order position that Gill now inherits.

Gill has inherited the mantle at a crucial time as the Indian team will take the field without three modern-day stalwarts — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom have retired from Test cricket following India tour of Australia (BGT 2024-25).

Shubman Gill is set to embark on a new chapter in his cricketing journey as he takes over the reins of the Indian Test team for the first time. Leading the national side in red-ball cricket is often considered one of the most demanding jobs in world cricket — and Gill has inherited the mantle at a crucial time. The Indian team will take the field without three modern-day stalwarts — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom have retired from Test cricket following India tour of Australia (BGT 2024-25) - which the visitors lost 1-3. Their absence marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a bold, new one under Gill's captaincy. As expected, the 25-year-old is surrounded by a storm of opinions, advice, and expectations, but among the many voices offering guidance, one stands out — India's first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev - also one of the three Indian skippers to win a Test series in England. Also Read - IND vs ENG: Only four specialist bowlers in playing XI as England ask for 'hit through the line' pitch for Headingley Test "Just go and enjoy yourself. Listen to everybody, but do what you think is best — because the selectors chose you to lead the side,” Kapil Dev said in a message of encouragement in an exclusive interview to WION on Wednesday (Jun 18). “Nobody is better than you at this stage. That’s why you're the captain. Just express yourself,” he added, urging Gill to tune out negativity and play with freedom. India’s History in England India’s first Test series win on English soil came in 1971 under Ajit Wadekar, who guided the team to a historic 1-0 win in a three-match series. It wasn’t until 1986 that India conquered England again, this time under Kapil Dev’s leadership, with a dominant 2-0 series win in three-Test series. Then came a long drought - India failed to win a single Test series in England for the next 21 years — until Rahul Dravid and his men stunned the hosts in 2007 with a memorable 1-0 victory in a three-match series. Now, 18 years later, Gill and his youthful squad will aim to break the jinx again when the first Test of the five-match series kicks off at Headingley on June 20, marking the beginning of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India and England. Since making his Test debut in December 2020, Shubman Gill has shown flashes of brilliance, scoring 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05. Known for his elegant stroke-play and composure at the crease, Gill will now shoulder the additional responsibility of leadership — and a new batting role. At a pre-match press conference, his deputy Rishabh Pant confirmed that Gill will move down to No. 4 in the batting order, filling the void left by the legendary Virat Kohli. Kohli, who amassed 9,230 Test runs including 30 centuries, leaves behind a massive legacy — and a crucial middle-order position that Gill now inherits.

Gill has inherited the mantle at a crucial time as the Indian team will take the field without three modern-day stalwarts — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom have retired from Test cricket following India tour of Australia (BGT 2024-25).

IND vs ENG: 'Listen to everybody, but...,' ex-skipper Kapil to new Test captain Shubman Gill

England veteran batter Joe Root is the fifth-highest run-scorer in Tests. With over 13,000 (13,006) runs to his name, he needs another 372 more to surpass the second-ranked Ponting (13,378) and cut the gap with the table topper and batting God, Sachin Tendulkar (15,921). Though he stands tall among the fab-four of modern-day cricket (including Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson) for the number of runs scored, he could push himself into the conversation for the greatest Test batters of all time should he surpass the three batters in line - Rahul Dravid (4), Jacques Kallis (3) and Ponting (2).<h2>Here is the list of batters with the most Test runs – &nbsp;</h2><ul><li>Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 15,921</li><li>Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 13,378</li><li>Jacques Kallis (South Africa) - 12,289</li><li>Rahul Dravid (India) - 13,288</li><li>Joe Root (England) - 13,006* &nbsp;</li></ul>Perhaps the best-ever to play for England in this format, Root is in touching distance of surpassing ‘The Wall’ Dravid to go fourth on the list, needing 282 runs, and should he add another two runs to it, he will also get past Kallis to become the third-highest run-scorer of all time.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eng-vs-ind-2025-no-james-anderson-stuart-broad-make-life-easier-for-rishabh-pant-india-tour-of-england-leeds-test-vice-captain-1750323170852">India tour of England 2025: No Anderson and Broad make life easier for Rishabh Pant</a> &nbsp;However, for him to get past the great Ponting, he must score another 89 runs, and given his form and the number of Tests England is playing India this time (five), he has ample time and innings to go second to the little master on this tally. &nbsp;Meanwhile, speaking highly of the touring Indian Team, against whom he made his Test debut in Nagpur 2012, Root said such series are the reason one plays cricket, and that the opportunities in front of them are epic.&nbsp; &nbsp;"You can only be excited. These are the series you play for. The opportunities in front of us are epic," Root, 34, said in a chat with Sky Sports ahead of the series opener in Leeds. "You look at India's progression as a team across all formats, and they have all bases covered - great seam attack, talented batters and a very strong spin attack. &nbsp;"They are going to compete anywhere in the world, but our record at home makes for a fantastic series. We will go into it with confidence but also with a huge amount of respect for what they will bring,” he continued.&nbsp;<h3>Lucky to play for England &nbsp;</h3>Reflecting on his incredible yet glorious England career, Root said, "I think how lucky I am to play for England. You play at amazing venues around the world, experiencing different cultures and everything else the sport has to offer - friendships and opportunities. &nbsp;"Trying to keep a broad mind on those things is more of a motivator than trying to plan too far ahead. Soak in and enjoy the good times,” he continued.

Closer to God! How India Test series could cut gap between Sachin and Root

England veteran batter Joe Root is the fifth-highest run-scorer in Tests. With over 13,000 (13,006) runs to his name, he needs another 372 more to surpass the second-ranked Ponting (13,378) and cut the gap with the table topper and batting God, Sachin Tendulkar (15,921). Though he stands tall among the fab-four of modern-day cricket (including Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson) for the number of runs scored, he could push himself into the conversation for the greatest Test batters of all time should he surpass the three batters in line - Rahul Dravid (4), Jacques Kallis (3) and Ponting (2). Here is the list of batters with the most Test runs – Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 15,921 Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 13,378 Jacques Kallis (South Africa) - 12,289 Rahul Dravid (India) - 13,288 Joe Root (England) - 13,006* Perhaps the best-ever to play for England in this format, Root is in touching distance of surpassing ‘The Wall’ Dravid to go fourth on the list, needing 282 runs, and should he add another two runs to it, he will also get past Kallis to become the third-highest run-scorer of all time. Also read | India tour of England 2025: No Anderson and Broad make life easier for Rishabh Pant However, for him to get past the great Ponting, he must score another 89 runs, and given his form and the number of Tests England is playing India this time (five), he has ample time and innings to go second to the little master on this tally. Meanwhile, speaking highly of the touring Indian Team, against whom he made his Test debut in Nagpur 2012, Root said such series are the reason one plays cricket, and that the opportunities in front of them are epic. "You can only be excited. These are the series you play for. The opportunities in front of us are epic," Root, 34, said in a chat with Sky Sports ahead of the series opener in Leeds. "You look at India's progression as a team across all formats, and they have all bases covered - great seam attack, talented batters and a very strong spin attack. "They are going to compete anywhere in the world, but our record at home makes for a fantastic series. We will go into it with confidence but also with a huge amount of respect for what they will bring,” he continued. Lucky to play for England Reflecting on his incredible yet glorious England career, Root said, "I think how lucky I am to play for England. You play at amazing venues around the world, experiencing different cultures and everything else the sport has to offer - friendships and opportunities. "Trying to keep a broad mind on those things is more of a motivator than trying to plan too far ahead. Soak in and enjoy the good times,” he continued.

Speaking highly of the touring Indian Team, against whom he made his Test debut in Nagpur 2012, Root said such series are the reason one plays cricket, and that the opportunities in front of them are epic.

IND vs ENG: Closer to God! How India Test series could cut gap between Sachin and Root

USA captain Monank Patel made headlines on Thursday (Jun 19) with a stunning knock in the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. Playing for MI New York at Oakland Coliseum in California, Monank scored the highest individual score by a USA batter (93 runs) in MLC history, surpassing the previous record held by San Francisco Unicorns skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/corey-anderson">Corey Anderson</a>. Anderson had scored an unbeaten 91 in the league's inaugural edition, but Monank went a step further with a match-winning performance to etch his name in the MLC record books.Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-victim-of-jasprit-bumrah-greater-yorker-ollie-pope-outlines-plan-against-indian-quick-leeds-test-1750313576081">Victim of Bumrah’s ‘greatest yorker’, England batter Ollie Pope outlines plan against Indian quick in Test series</a>But a question might arise in everyone's mind. Who is Monak Patel?Born in India, Monank Patel’s journey to the USA national team is inspirational. He was introduced to cricket by his father, Dilip Patel, a former wicketkeeper-batter who played district-level cricket in Gujarat.Monank followed the footsteps of his father and showed early promise by leading the Anand district U-15 side at just 13. He scored back-to-back big hundreds: 144 and 166 against teams from Surat and Bharuch. His talent caught the attention of Anshuman Gaekwad, the then head coach at the Gujarat Cricket Association, who brought him into the age-group circuit.Monank decided to move to the United States in 2014 and steadily climbed the ranks in domestic cricket. By 2018, he was part of the USA national team and made his T20 international debut in 2019 against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai.Since then, he's been a key figure in American cricket's rise.Monak wins it for MI New YorkIn the match against the Seattle Orcas, Monank’s brilliant innings helped MI New York chase down a huge total of 201 with an over to spare. While Kyle Mayers had earlier powered Seattle to 200 with an explosive innings of 88. Monank’s explosive batting laid the foundation for the chase. Michael Bracewell supported him well, scoring an unbeaten 50 off 35 balls, while skipper Kieron Pollard also contributed with a quick 26 off 10 deliveries.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Playing for MI New York at Oakland Coliseum in California, Monank scored the highest individual score by a USA batter in MLC history, surpassing the previous record held by San Francisco Unicorns skipper Corey Anderson.

USA captain Monank Patel made headlines on Thursday (Jun 19) with a stunning knock in the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. Playing for MI New York at Oakland Coliseum in California, Monank scored the highest individual score by a USA batter (93 runs) in MLC history, surpassing the previous record held by San Francisco Unicorns skipper Corey Anderson. Anderson had scored an unbeaten 91 in the league's inaugural edition, but Monank went a step further with a match-winning performance to etch his name in the MLC record books. Also Read | Victim of Bumrah’s ‘greatest yorker’, England batter Ollie Pope outlines plan against Indian quick in Test series But a question might arise in everyone's mind. Who is Monak Patel? Born in India, Monank Patel’s journey to the USA national team is inspirational. He was introduced to cricket by his father, Dilip Patel, a former wicketkeeper-batter who played district-level cricket in Gujarat. Monank followed the footsteps of his father and showed early promise by leading the Anand district U-15 side at just 13. He scored back-to-back big hundreds: 144 and 166 against teams from Surat and Bharuch. His talent caught the attention of Anshuman Gaekwad, the then head coach at the Gujarat Cricket Association, who brought him into the age-group circuit. Monank decided to move to the United States in 2014 and steadily climbed the ranks in domestic cricket. By 2018, he was part of the USA national team and made his T20 international debut in 2019 against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai. Since then, he's been a key figure in American cricket's rise. Monak wins it for MI New York In the match against the Seattle Orcas, Monank’s brilliant innings helped MI New York chase down a huge total of 201 with an over to spare. While Kyle Mayers had earlier powered Seattle to 200 with an explosive innings of 88. Monank’s explosive batting laid the foundation for the chase. Michael Bracewell supported him well, scoring an unbeaten 50 off 35 balls, while skipper Kieron Pollard also contributed with a quick 26 off 10 deliveries.

Playing for MI New York at Oakland Coliseum in California, Monank scored the highest individual score by a USA batter in MLC history, surpassing the previous record held by San Francisco Unicorns skipper Corey Anderson.

MI New York batter Monank Patel smashes MLC record, scripts history in win over Seattle Orcas

India will take on England in the first Test of the five-match Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy starting from Friday (Jun 20) in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/leeds">Leeds</a>. As both teams gear up for the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-2027), all eyes are on the pitch conditions, which could decide the fate of the inaugural Test. Leeds has experienced sunny weather before the match day (Jun 20), which could play a big role in how the pitch behaves. The surface is likely to offer early help to fast bowlers with good seam and bounce, especially on Day 1. As the match goes on, and with rising temperatures, the pitch might ease out a bit, making batting slightly easier. However, the early hours will be challenging, particularly for batters unfamiliar with English conditions.&nbsp;Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-england-1st-test-rain-threat-looms-over-headingley-sports-cricket-1750316509194"> India vs England, 1st Test: Rain threat looms over Headingley, Leeds</a>&nbsp;Headingley usually hosts a mid-series Test, but this time, it is the venue for the series opener. This has added more interest to how the pitch behaves from Day 1 itself. The conditions are expected to suit England’s aggressive 'Bazball' style of batting; however, it also gives India’s pace attack a chance to strike early and gain control.&nbsp;For India, this Test marks the beginning of a new era. With seniors like Rohit Sharma, Ravi Ashwin and Virat Kohli retiring from the format, the team will be led by Shubman Gill. India’s top order, which includes young blood like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, and Abhimanyu Easwaran, will have to adapt quickly to the tricky surface.&nbsp;Meanwhile, KL Rahul is likely to open for India, and skipper Gill will bat at four. The number three spot remains open. Meanwhile, India also has to decide on their all-rounder options. Jadeja is expected to play, but whether Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur both feature is still unknown.

Leeds has experienced sunny weather before the match day (Jun 20), which could play a big role in how the pitch behaves. The surface is likely to offer early help to fast bowlers with good seam and bounce.

India will take on England in the first Test of the five-match Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy starting from Friday (Jun 20) in Leeds. As both teams gear up for the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-2027), all eyes are on the pitch conditions, which could decide the fate of the inaugural Test. Leeds has experienced sunny weather before the match day (Jun 20), which could play a big role in how the pitch behaves. The surface is likely to offer early help to fast bowlers with good seam and bounce, especially on Day 1. As the match goes on, and with rising temperatures, the pitch might ease out a bit, making batting slightly easier. However, the early hours will be challenging, particularly for batters unfamiliar with English conditions. Also Read | India vs England, 1st Test: Rain threat looms over Headingley, Leeds Headingley usually hosts a mid-series Test, but this time, it is the venue for the series opener. This has added more interest to how the pitch behaves from Day 1 itself. The conditions are expected to suit England’s aggressive 'Bazball' style of batting; however, it also gives India’s pace attack a chance to strike early and gain control. For India, this Test marks the beginning of a new era. With seniors like Rohit Sharma, Ravi Ashwin and Virat Kohli retiring from the format, the team will be led by Shubman Gill. India’s top order, which includes young blood like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, and Abhimanyu Easwaran, will have to adapt quickly to the tricky surface. Meanwhile, KL Rahul is likely to open for India, and skipper Gill will bat at four. The number three spot remains open. Meanwhile, India also has to decide on their all-rounder options. Jadeja is expected to play, but whether Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur both feature is still unknown.

Leeds has experienced sunny weather before the match day (June 20), which could play a big role in how the pitch behaves. The surface is likely to offer early help to fast bowlers with good seam and bounce.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Headingley pitch to test India’s patience and skill

‘England are coming, they are coming for us big time,’ former Australia gloveman Ian Healy rang warning bells for the Ashes hosts, especially for the top order batters Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne. After both failed in the just-concluded WTC Final against South Africa, which Australia conceded, former legends feel Usman and Marnus might not hold onto their spots till summer Down Under. Although the upcoming three-match Test series against West Indies provides them with a chance to revive their dying red-ball careers, Healy feels that if both fail, then neither would make it to the Ashes squad against England.&nbsp;While Khawaja, 38, received the head coach Andrew McDonald’s backing in the latest reflection of the WTC Final and the upcoming Ashes, Marnus seems to be fighting for his number-three spot in Tests. Once a batting mainstay and the former ranked number-one batter, the right-hander could miss the home Ashes if his numbers don’t improve.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eng-vs-ind-2025-no-james-anderson-stuart-broad-make-life-easier-for-rishabh-pant-india-tour-of-england-leeds-test-vice-captain-1750323170852">India tour of England 2025: No Anderson and Broad make life easier for Rishabh Pant</a> &nbsp;“If you [Khawaja] limp to the end of your career and the last series you’re hanging out for is the Ashes, it’s going to be a nightmare,” Healy said in a chat with SEN radio.&nbsp; &nbsp;“England are coming. They’re coming for us big time. They’re picking the right style of bowler, and they’re looking at batsmen, who can prosper in Australian conditions. They are going so specific (with selection) that they are going to be all over us.&nbsp; &nbsp;“If you’re not right on the top of your energy levels and your technique, which we’re not at the moment, you’re going to get hurt. In your last series, if you’re not there, if you thought it was going to be fun, it’s a nightmare,” Healy said of the opener Khawaja. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Gillespie sounded concerned over Labuschagne’s run of form heading into the Caribbean. &nbsp;“If he [Labuschagne] does play in the Caribbean, I think it’s definitely last chance saloon, there’s no doubt about that,” Gillespie said while speaking on SEN radio. &nbsp;“I think if he doesn’t perform strongly, then I think he’s at a real risk of not playing in the Ashes. &nbsp;“Over the last two years, he’s averaged in the mid-20s, and he’s got only one hundred. But I suspect either one of Usman or Marnus will miss out in the West Indies. That’s my estimation,” he continued. &nbsp;Raising his concerns loud and clear, Gillespie feels that with veteran Steve Smith locked in at four and Travis Head at five, and also considering how the returning Cameron Green failed (at number three during the WTC Final), the selectors would have a tough call to fill in the number three slot.&nbsp; &nbsp;“I know that Steve Smith’s best position is at four, and I think Travis Head’s best position is at five. I think those guys are pretty set. So, I think ultimately that the selectors have got to decide: Is Josh Inglis the best man to do the job at three, or is Marnus the best man to do the job at three?” Gillespie continued.

Aussie legends ring warning bells for Khawaja, Marnus over Ashes spot

‘England are coming, they are coming for us big time,’ former Australia gloveman Ian Healy rang warning bells for the Ashes hosts, especially for the top order batters Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne. After both failed in the just-concluded WTC Final against South Africa, which Australia conceded, former legends feel Usman and Marnus might not hold onto their spots till summer Down Under. Although the upcoming three-match Test series against West Indies provides them with a chance to revive their dying red-ball careers, Healy feels that if both fail, then neither would make it to the Ashes squad against England. While Khawaja, 38, received the head coach Andrew McDonald’s backing in the latest reflection of the WTC Final and the upcoming Ashes, Marnus seems to be fighting for his number-three spot in Tests. Once a batting mainstay and the former ranked number-one batter, the right-hander could miss the home Ashes if his numbers don’t improve. Also read | India tour of England 2025: No Anderson and Broad make life easier for Rishabh Pant “If you [Khawaja] limp to the end of your career and the last series you’re hanging out for is the Ashes, it’s going to be a nightmare,” Healy said in a chat with SEN radio. “England are coming. They’re coming for us big time. They’re picking the right style of bowler, and they’re looking at batsmen, who can prosper in Australian conditions. They are going so specific (with selection) that they are going to be all over us. “If you’re not right on the top of your energy levels and your technique, which we’re not at the moment, you’re going to get hurt. In your last series, if you’re not there, if you thought it was going to be fun, it’s a nightmare,” Healy said of the opener Khawaja. Meanwhile, Gillespie sounded concerned over Labuschagne’s run of form heading into the Caribbean. “If he [Labuschagne] does play in the Caribbean, I think it’s definitely last chance saloon, there’s no doubt about that,” Gillespie said while speaking on SEN radio. “I think if he doesn’t perform strongly, then I think he’s at a real risk of not playing in the Ashes. “Over the last two years, he’s averaged in the mid-20s, and he’s got only one hundred. But I suspect either one of Usman or Marnus will miss out in the West Indies. That’s my estimation,” he continued. Raising his concerns loud and clear, Gillespie feels that with veteran Steve Smith locked in at four and Travis Head at five, and also considering how the returning Cameron Green failed (at number three during the WTC Final), the selectors would have a tough call to fill in the number three slot. “I know that Steve Smith’s best position is at four, and I think Travis Head’s best position is at five. I think those guys are pretty set. So, I think ultimately that the selectors have got to decide: Is Josh Inglis the best man to do the job at three, or is Marnus the best man to do the job at three?” Gillespie continued.

While Khawaja, 38, received the head coach Andrew McDonald’s backing in the latest reflection of the WTC Final and the upcoming Ashes, Marnus seems to be fighting for his number-three spot in Tests.

‘It’s going to be a nightmare’: Aussie legends ring warning bells for Khawaja, Marnus over Ashes spot

James Anderson and Stuart Broad perhaps made the best new-ball duo in Test cricket history, having collected over 1200 wickets between them in this format. Having dominated the red-ball scene for close to two decades, both announced their retirements in the past two years. While Broad departed earlier following the 2023 home Ashes, Anderson said goodbye to Test cricket after the first Test against the West Indies last year. Meanwhile, for Rishabh Pant, the newly-appointed vice-captain of the Indian Test team, not having to face this duo comes as a massive relief for him and the team ahead of the Test series.&nbsp;India and England will face off at Headingley in Leeds for the first Test starting Friday (June 20), and Pant had plenty to say ahead of the series opener. While he addressed several topics in his media interaction on Wednesday (June 18), Pant talked about feeling relieved over not facing the pace duo of Anderson and Broad in the upcoming series.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-headingley-leeds-pitch-worries-india-but-hot-conditions-could-make-them-feel-at-home-england-first-test-1750318371571">ENG vs IND 2025: Green track at Headingley worries India but hot conditions could make them feel at home</a> &nbsp;Speaking in the highest regard for them, considering their role and impact on cricket, especially in Tests, Pant said, “Definitely, it feels so good when both (Anderson and Broad) are not there. Because coming from the last two tours, they've been there for England for so many years, and I've only come for two tours. But at the same time, they have enough ammunition as an England bowling line-up,” Pant said in the pre-match press conference. &nbsp;“We don't want to take anyone lightly because our team is also young. They're still looking to develop themselves. But at the same time, we've got to play our cricket and respect the bowlers and opposition where it needs it,” Pant continued.&nbsp;<h2>Life beyond Anderson-Broad &nbsp;</h2>Like how India is preparing for a life beyond their batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who announced their Test retirements last month, England has somewhat done the same following the exits of their pace heroes.&nbsp; &nbsp;On one hand, India has brought in some young guns to fill in for their batting giants, England has picked three seamers - Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, for the series opener, alongside just one spinner, Shoaib Bashir for the first game. &nbsp;India, however, hasn’t named their playing XI for the Leeds Test.&nbsp;

ENG vs IND 2025: No Anderson and Broad make life easier for Rishabh Pant

James Anderson and Stuart Broad perhaps made the best new-ball duo in Test cricket history, having collected over 1200 wickets between them in this format. Having dominated the red-ball scene for close to two decades, both announced their retirements in the past two years. While Broad departed earlier following the 2023 home Ashes, Anderson said goodbye to Test cricket after the first Test against the West Indies last year. Meanwhile, for Rishabh Pant, the newly-appointed vice-captain of the Indian Test team, not having to face this duo comes as a massive relief for him and the team ahead of the Test series. India and England will face off at Headingley in Leeds for the first Test starting Friday (June 20), and Pant had plenty to say ahead of the series opener. While he addressed several topics in his media interaction on Wednesday (June 18), Pant talked about feeling relieved over not facing the pace duo of Anderson and Broad in the upcoming series. Also read | ENG vs IND 2025: Green track at Headingley worries India but hot conditions could make them feel at home Speaking in the highest regard for them, considering their role and impact on cricket, especially in Tests, Pant said, “Definitely, it feels so good when both (Anderson and Broad) are not there. Because coming from the last two tours, they've been there for England for so many years, and I've only come for two tours. But at the same time, they have enough ammunition as an England bowling line-up,” Pant said in the pre-match press conference. “We don't want to take anyone lightly because our team is also young. They're still looking to develop themselves. But at the same time, we've got to play our cricket and respect the bowlers and opposition where it needs it,” Pant continued. Life beyond Anderson-Broad Like how India is preparing for a life beyond their batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who announced their Test retirements last month, England has somewhat done the same following the exits of their pace heroes. On one hand, India has brought in some young guns to fill in for their batting giants, England has picked three seamers - Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, for the series opener, alongside just one spinner, Shoaib Bashir for the first game. India, however, hasn’t named their playing XI for the Leeds Test.

While Broad departed earlier following the 2023 home Ashes, Anderson said goodbye to Test cricket after the first Test against the West Indies last year.

India tour of England 2025: No Anderson and Broad make life easier for Rishabh Pant

India is set to play England in a five-match Test series starting on Friday (June 20) at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/leeds">Headingley in Leeds</a>. This series, now named the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, promises high drama and excitement, but the weather could play a big role in the inaugural Test.&nbsp;According to the weather forecast, all five days will see cloudy skies resulting in overcast conditions, with a high chance of showers on the second and third days. These conditions are likely to favour fast bowlers, and India may consider playing an all-pace attack.&nbsp;Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-victim-of-jasprit-bumrah-greater-yorker-ollie-pope-outlines-plan-against-indian-quick-leeds-test-1750313576081">Victim of Bumrah’s ‘greatest yorker’, England batter Ollie Pope outlines plan against Indian quick in Test series</a>&nbsp;This series is also special as it marks the beginning of a new era in Indian Test cricket. With <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>, Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli retired from the format, Shubman Gill has been given the responsibility of leading the side. It will be Gill’s first Test as captain, and he will look to begin his journey with a strong performance.&nbsp;India haven’t won a Test series in England since 2007 and last won at Headingley in 2002. With fresh faces in the team, India will hope to change their overseas record and make a solid start to the tour.&nbsp;However, there are a few team selection questions. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kl-rahul">KL Rahul </a>is expected to open, while Shubman Gill is likely to bat at number four. This leaves the number three spot open, with Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan being strong options. Karun Nair could also be picked, but may bat in the middle order.&nbsp;India will also need to decide how many all-rounders to include. Ravindra Jadeja is almost certain to play, but whether both Shardul Thakur and Nitish Reddy make it to the XI is yet to be seen. If they do, India may have to play just two specialist bowlers.&nbsp;As England prepares with a solid squad led by Ben Stokes, India will need to make smart decisions with both team selection and strategy to kick off the series on a high.

According to the weather forecast, all five days will see cloudy skies resulting in overcast conditions, with a high chance of showers on the second and third days. 

India is set to play England in a five-match Test series starting on Friday (June 20) at Headingley in Leeds. This series, now named the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, promises high drama and excitement, but the weather could play a big role in the inaugural Test. According to the weather forecast, all five days will see cloudy skies resulting in overcast conditions, with a high chance of showers on the second and third days. These conditions are likely to favour fast bowlers, and India may consider playing an all-pace attack. Also Read | Victim of Bumrah’s ‘greatest yorker’, England batter Ollie Pope outlines plan against Indian quick in Test series This series is also special as it marks the beginning of a new era in Indian Test cricket. With Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli retired from the format, Shubman Gill has been given the responsibility of leading the side. It will be Gill’s first Test as captain, and he will look to begin his journey with a strong performance. India haven’t won a Test series in England since 2007 and last won at Headingley in 2002. With fresh faces in the team, India will hope to change their overseas record and make a solid start to the tour. However, there are a few team selection questions. KL Rahul is expected to open, while Shubman Gill is likely to bat at number four. This leaves the number three spot open, with Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan being strong options. Karun Nair could also be picked, but may bat in the middle order. India will also need to decide how many all-rounders to include. Ravindra Jadeja is almost certain to play, but whether both Shardul Thakur and Nitish Reddy make it to the XI is yet to be seen. If they do, India may have to play just two specialist bowlers. As England prepares with a solid squad led by Ben Stokes, India will need to make smart decisions with both team selection and strategy to kick off the series on a high.

According to the weather forecast, all five days will see cloudy skies resulting in overcast conditions, with a high chance of showers on the second and third days.&nbsp;

India vs England, 1st Test: Rain threat looms over Headingley, Leeds

India will begin a fresh chapter in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, led by their new captain Shubman Gill. The Indian team returns to the longest format after a break of 162 days. Their last Test match was in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.&nbsp;&nbsp;A lot has changed in these five months. For the first time, India will play a Test without two big names — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who both retired from Test cricket last month.&nbsp;The team has a new look, with Karun Nair making his comeback after eight years and a few new players, including Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh Krishna, joining the squad. India has also added fast bowler Harshit Rana from the ‘A’ squad to strengthen the bowling side.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="India vs England 2025 Test series – All you need to know about fixtures, venues, live streaming and more">India vs England 2025 Test series – All you need to know about fixtures, venues, live streaming and more</a>&nbsp;Live Streaming and Telecast Details:&nbsp;When and where will the India vs England 1st Test match take place?&nbsp;The first Test between England and India will be held at Headingley, Leeds, from June 20 to June 24. The match will begin at 3:30 PM IST.&nbsp;When will the toss take place in the India vs England 1st Test match?&nbsp;The toss will take place at 3:00 PM IST.&nbsp;Where to watch India vs England 1st Test live streaming in India?You can watch the match live on the JioHotstar app and website.&nbsp;Where to watch India vs England 1st Test live telecast on TV in India?The live telecast will be available on the Sony Sports Network.&nbsp;Squads -&nbsp;&nbsp;India:&nbsp;Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC &amp; WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana&nbsp;England:&nbsp;Ben Stokes (C), Joe Root, Jamie Smith (WK), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes

The Indian cricket team is going to start its ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle with a five-match Test series against England, starting on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds.

India will begin a fresh chapter in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, led by their new captain Shubman Gill. The Indian team returns to the longest format after a break of 162 days. Their last Test match was in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. A lot has changed in these five months. For the first time, India will play a Test without two big names — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who both retired from Test cricket last month. The team has a new look, with Karun Nair making his comeback after eight years and a few new players, including Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh Krishna, joining the squad. India has also added fast bowler Harshit Rana from the ‘A’ squad to strengthen the bowling side. Also Read - India vs England 2025 Test series – All you need to know about fixtures, venues, live streaming and more Live Streaming and Telecast Details: When and where will the India vs England 1st Test match take place? The first Test between England and India will be held at Headingley, Leeds, from June 20 to June 24. The match will begin at 3:30 PM IST. When will the toss take place in the India vs England 1st Test match? The toss will take place at 3:00 PM IST. Where to watch India vs England 1st Test live streaming in India? You can watch the match live on the JioHotstar app and website. Where to watch India vs England 1st Test live telecast on TV in India? The live telecast will be available on the Sony Sports Network. Squads - India: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana England: Ben Stokes (C), Joe Root, Jamie Smith (WK), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes

The Indian cricket team is going to start its ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle with a five-match Test series against England, starting on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds.

IND vs ENG 2025, 1st Test: When and where to watch Team India's series opener at Headingley in Leeds

While the touring Indian Team prepares to weather the seaming conditions in Leeds for their series opener against England, the residents are preparing for scorching heat over the weekend. The Shubman Gill-led side will face its set of challenges on day one at Headingley, but having the hotter overhead conditions with the temperature soaring in mid-20s Celsius could make them feel at home. However, a greener track underneath is where the problem lies.&nbsp;Leeds is traditionally a seam-friendly venue, with the new bowlers enjoying purchases early in the innings. England picking three front-line quicks in Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue for the first Test suggests that the wicket would have plenty to offer even when the ball turns slightly old. Even then, with England captain Ben Stokes chipping in with his later inswingers, batting would become tough for the Rohit and Kohli-less Indian Team.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-victim-of-jasprit-bumrah-greater-yorker-ollie-pope-outlines-plan-against-indian-quick-leeds-test-1750313576081">Victim of Bumrah’s ‘greatest yorker’, England batter Ollie Pope outlines plan against Indian quick in Test series</a><h2>Leeds pitch for ENG-IND tie &nbsp;</h2>Under the wraps for most of the time, the pitch got exposed two days before the start of the Leeds Test between India and England, and to say that there was any dry or brown patch visible would be an understatement. It looked as green as a grass field, with viewers wondering, 'Is there even a pitch?' &nbsp;However, regardless of the playing conditions, the touring Indian Team continues to prepare for the marquee series with a relatively newer squad at the helm. While most of the core, including Rohit, Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami, remain absent, the availability of rookie players keeps the fans excited about what is to come.<h3>Leeds pitch -</h3>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The pitch at Headingley… 👀 📸: <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNcricinfo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/YQtcUvSOhR">pic.twitter.com/YQtcUvSOhR</a>&mdash; England&#39;s Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBarmyArmy/status/1935414058653507901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Speaking ahead of the series opener in Leeds, Team India’s new vice-captain Rishabh Pant addressed talks around it, confirming Gill’s position, but remained mum on the top order and who fits the bowling attack.&nbsp; &nbsp;"I think there is still discussion going on, who is going to play 3. But definitely, 4 and 5 are fixed. I think Shubman is going to bat at number 4, and I'm going to stick to number 5 as of now. And rest, we are going to keep on discussing about that," Pant said ahead of the first Test. &nbsp;Besides, India would likely play at least three quicks, barring a seam-bowling all-rounder - should one of the two (Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur) get picked, but could surprise everyone by picking two spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, considering the hot overhead conditions

Leeds pitch worries India but hot conditions could make them feel at home

While the touring Indian Team prepares to weather the seaming conditions in Leeds for their series opener against England, the residents are preparing for scorching heat over the weekend. The Shubman Gill-led side will face its set of challenges on day one at Headingley, but having the hotter overhead conditions with the temperature soaring in mid-20s Celsius could make them feel at home. However, a greener track underneath is where the problem lies. Leeds is traditionally a seam-friendly venue, with the new bowlers enjoying purchases early in the innings. England picking three front-line quicks in Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue for the first Test suggests that the wicket would have plenty to offer even when the ball turns slightly old. Even then, with England captain Ben Stokes chipping in with his later inswingers, batting would become tough for the Rohit and Kohli-less Indian Team. Also read | Victim of Bumrah’s ‘greatest yorker’, England batter Ollie Pope outlines plan against Indian quick in Test series Leeds pitch for ENG-IND tie Under the wraps for most of the time, the pitch got exposed two days before the start of the Leeds Test between India and England, and to say that there was any dry or brown patch visible would be an understatement. It looked as green as a grass field, with viewers wondering, 'Is there even a pitch?' However, regardless of the playing conditions, the touring Indian Team continues to prepare for the marquee series with a relatively newer squad at the helm. While most of the core, including Rohit, Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami, remain absent, the availability of rookie players keeps the fans excited about what is to come. Leeds pitch -

Leeds is traditionally a seam-friendly venue, with the new bowlers enjoying purchases early in the innings.

ENG vs IND 2025: Green track at Headingley worries India but hot conditions could make them feel at home

Once a victim of his ‘greatest yorker’ that still comes across while scrolling social media, England batter Ollie Pope has outlined a plan to tackle Indian quick Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming Test series. Pope, who retained his place ahead of rookie all-rounder Jacob Bethell and will play at number three, spoke on how he wants to ‘rotate the strike and get to the other end’ quickly so that Bumrah doesn’t bowl six balls to him at a stretch.&nbsp;While Pope has come up against Bumrah nine times in Tests, facing 186 balls and scoring 86 runs, he has been out to him five times; besides, the rotation of strike hasn’t been the best ploy against him as Pope has played 140 of those deliveries as dot balls, scoring in the remaining 46.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-common-sense-not-bazball-will-help-england-triumph-over-india-geoffrey-boycott-1750310030014">Common sense, not Bazball, will help England triumph over India: Geoffrey Boycott</a> &nbsp;“Maybe getting my trigger in a bit earlier just to give myself a bit more time,” Pope said in a chat with England’s The Times. “He’s one of those bowlers that, with his action and where he releases it from, doesn’t necessarily clock the high speeds that some of the guys clock, but it certainly feels like it’s that bit quicker. With the skills he’s got as well, it’s being aware of that.” &nbsp;Meanwhile, speaking with TalkSport earlier, Pope explained why it’s always a challenge to face Bumrah, let alone try to hit him. The right-handed batter, who has been among the runs for England playing in this position, reveals the whole purpose against Bumrah is to put him under pressure.&nbsp; &nbsp;“Yeah, it’s a challenge. I think I’ve played him in probably three different series now, and you’re constantly trying to find ways to put him under some pressure. I mean, he can bowl 20 overs in a day — that’s a lot. So, the way we talk about cricket is, you want to absorb pressure when needed, and then, if necessary, try to put a guy under a little bit of pressure,” Pope said. &nbsp;He then detailed what’s best they can do to avoid gifting wickets to Bumrah. &nbsp;‘Right, how can I rotate and get to the other end?’ And my partner’s thinking the same, so he [Bumrah] doesn’t get six balls at you in a row and use all his skills. He’s a highly skilled bowler, one of the best in the world, if not the best. &nbsp;“There’s no hiding behind that. But I’m sure everyone has different methods to try and nullify his main threats and figure out their scoring areas. It’s really about keeping it as simple as possible,” Pope explained. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Bumrah and Pope will again come up against each other during the forthcoming Test series, starting with the first Test on June 20 in Leeds.&nbsp;

Victim of Bumrah’s ‘greatest yorker’, Pope outlines plan against Indian quick

Once a victim of his ‘greatest yorker’ that still comes across while scrolling social media, England batter Ollie Pope has outlined a plan to tackle Indian quick Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming Test series. Pope, who retained his place ahead of rookie all-rounder Jacob Bethell and will play at number three, spoke on how he wants to ‘rotate the strike and get to the other end’ quickly so that Bumrah doesn’t bowl six balls to him at a stretch. While Pope has come up against Bumrah nine times in Tests, facing 186 balls and scoring 86 runs, he has been out to him five times; besides, the rotation of strike hasn’t been the best ploy against him as Pope has played 140 of those deliveries as dot balls, scoring in the remaining 46. Also read | Common sense, not Bazball, will help England triumph over India: Geoffrey Boycott “Maybe getting my trigger in a bit earlier just to give myself a bit more time,” Pope said in a chat with England’s The Times. “He’s one of those bowlers that, with his action and where he releases it from, doesn’t necessarily clock the high speeds that some of the guys clock, but it certainly feels like it’s that bit quicker. With the skills he’s got as well, it’s being aware of that.” Meanwhile, speaking with TalkSport earlier, Pope explained why it’s always a challenge to face Bumrah, let alone try to hit him. The right-handed batter, who has been among the runs for England playing in this position, reveals the whole purpose against Bumrah is to put him under pressure. “Yeah, it’s a challenge. I think I’ve played him in probably three different series now, and you’re constantly trying to find ways to put him under some pressure. I mean, he can bowl 20 overs in a day — that’s a lot. So, the way we talk about cricket is, you want to absorb pressure when needed, and then, if necessary, try to put a guy under a little bit of pressure,” Pope said. He then detailed what’s best they can do to avoid gifting wickets to Bumrah. ‘Right, how can I rotate and get to the other end?’ And my partner’s thinking the same, so he [Bumrah] doesn’t get six balls at you in a row and use all his skills. He’s a highly skilled bowler, one of the best in the world, if not the best. “There’s no hiding behind that. But I’m sure everyone has different methods to try and nullify his main threats and figure out their scoring areas. It’s really about keeping it as simple as possible,” Pope explained. Meanwhile, Bumrah and Pope will again come up against each other during the forthcoming Test series, starting with the first Test on June 20 in Leeds.

While Pope has come up against Bumrah nine times in Tests, facing 186 balls and scoring 86 runs, he has been out to him five times.&nbsp;

Victim of Bumrah’s ‘greatest yorker’, England batter Ollie Pope outlines plan against Indian quick in Test series

England has played some fantastic Test cricket since head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes took charge, but have failed to guide the team in the two WTC Finals since, worrying fans and even analysts, including former England great Geoffrey Boycott. With England set to host India for five Tests starting June 20 in Leeds, Boycott feels the only way the hosts can prevail is by playing with common sense and not just super-attacking cricket, which the media calls Bazball.&nbsp;Despite excelling against some teams in certain conditions, England failed to reach the summit clash of (three) WTC Finals, all held in England to date. Although the outspoken England great said that Stokes’ team should be embarrassed by that record, he suggested they deploy the traditional approach, which will help them stand tall in the end.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-england-name-playing-xi-for-hit-through-the-line-pitch-at-headingley-test-vs-india-1750264461375">IND vs ENG: Only four specialist bowlers in playing XI as England ask for 'hit through the line' pitch for Headingley Test</a> &nbsp;“England should beat India if they temper Bazball and use some common sense. At times, their cricket has been thrilling and super enjoyable, but also reckless batting has lost them Test matches,” Boycott wrote in The Telegraph. &nbsp;“Their only thought should be winning because it is no use telling us how good you are when the last three World Test Championship finals have been played in our country, but England have not qualified for any of them. They should be embarrassed. Their aim should be to make the next WTC final,” he continued.<h2>Winning is more important than entertaining &nbsp;</h2>Considering how McCullum and Stokes have always advocated reviving this dying format (Test cricket) by making it entertaining for the fans, by going gaga over the over-attacking form of cricket, which Boycott calls ‘reckless’, he has urged the English Team to set their priorities and try and win and not just concentrate at entertaining fans.&nbsp; &nbsp;He said that winning is paramount in this game, and even considering what all is at stake, and if fans are being entertained and Test cricket also seems to revive by that, it’s a bonus and shouldn’t be the other way around.&nbsp; &nbsp;“The new cycle starts now, and somebody needs to get through to the England players that being a winner is better than being known as an entertainer. If you can win and entertain, that is a bonus. At the moment, England are like a one-trick pony. It’s Bazball or Bazball, and that is the way we play; take it or leave it. They don’t want to change or learn from their losses,” he wrote. &nbsp;Meanwhile, England announced their playing XI for the series opener against India, retaining Ollie Pope at three and benching Jacob Bethell. Seam-bowling all-rounders Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse are part of the pace attack.&nbsp;&nbsp;England XI for Leeds Test - Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir

Common sense, not Bazball, will help England triumph over India: Boycott

England has played some fantastic Test cricket since head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes took charge, but have failed to guide the team in the two WTC Finals since, worrying fans and even analysts, including former England great Geoffrey Boycott. With England set to host India for five Tests starting June 20 in Leeds, Boycott feels the only way the hosts can prevail is by playing with common sense and not just super-attacking cricket, which the media calls Bazball. Despite excelling against some teams in certain conditions, England failed to reach the summit clash of (three) WTC Finals, all held in England to date. Although the outspoken England great said that Stokes’ team should be embarrassed by that record, he suggested they deploy the traditional approach, which will help them stand tall in the end. Also read | IND vs ENG: Only four specialist bowlers in playing XI as England ask for 'hit through the line' pitch for Headingley Test “England should beat India if they temper Bazball and use some common sense. At times, their cricket has been thrilling and super enjoyable, but also reckless batting has lost them Test matches,” Boycott wrote in The Telegraph. “Their only thought should be winning because it is no use telling us how good you are when the last three World Test Championship finals have been played in our country, but England have not qualified for any of them. They should be embarrassed. Their aim should be to make the next WTC final,” he continued. Winning is more important than entertaining Considering how McCullum and Stokes have always advocated reviving this dying format (Test cricket) by making it entertaining for the fans, by going gaga over the over-attacking form of cricket, which Boycott calls ‘reckless’, he has urged the English Team to set their priorities and try and win and not just concentrate at entertaining fans. He said that winning is paramount in this game, and even considering what all is at stake, and if fans are being entertained and Test cricket also seems to revive by that, it’s a bonus and shouldn’t be the other way around. “The new cycle starts now, and somebody needs to get through to the England players that being a winner is better than being known as an entertainer. If you can win and entertain, that is a bonus. At the moment, England are like a one-trick pony. It’s Bazball or Bazball, and that is the way we play; take it or leave it. They don’t want to change or learn from their losses,” he wrote. Meanwhile, England announced their playing XI for the series opener against India, retaining Ollie Pope at three and benching Jacob Bethell. Seam-bowling all-rounders Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse are part of the pace attack. England XI for Leeds Test - Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir

Despite excelling against some teams in certain conditions, England failed to reach the summit clash of (three) WTC Finals, all held in England to date.

Common sense, not Bazball, will help England triumph over India: Geoffrey Boycott

The Bombay High Court has directed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to pay INR 385.50 crore ($44 million) and INR 153.34 crore ($17 million) to Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL) and Rendezvous Sports World (RSW), respectively. The payment has been asked to be made in lieu to wrongfully terminating now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala IPL franchise in September 2011, which was owned by KCPL and RSW. The order was passed in response to the BCCI's appeal against the arbitral order passed in 2015.Why was Kochi Tuskers Kerala terminated?The franchise, which played in only one season in IPL 2011 (referred as 2010 season by the BCCI), was terminated by the BCCI for allegedly breaching the terms contract - in this case - failing to submit a bank guarantee before the deadline. The termination led to arbitral proceeding by both the parties and the decision was announced in favour of the IPL franchise in 2015 against which the BCCI filed an appeal.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-did-india-win-a-test-last-at-headingley-can-shubman-gills-india-break-the-23-year-long-headingley-jinx-1750257990433">IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Can Shubman Gill’s India break the 23-year-long Headingley jinx</a>According to the BCCI, Kochi failed to submit the bank guarantee even after six month past the deadline for the 2011 season. The original date for the meeting the set criteria was March 2011 but the IPL franchise hadn't submitted the bank guarantee till September 2011, as per the BCCI, following it was issued a termination notice."Because of the irremediable breach committed by the Kochi franchise, the BCCI has decided to encash the bank guarantee [for 2010] in its possession and also terminate the franchise," BCCI president N Srinivasan had said in 2011 as reported by ESPNCricinfo.How did Kochi Tuskers Kerala perform in IPL 2011?In its only IPL season, Kochi Tuskers Kerala won six and lost eight games out of 14 and finished eighth on the 10-team points table.Who played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala in IPL 2011?The squad by led by former Sri Lanka batter Mahela Jayawardene with other big names being VVS Laxman, Brendon McCullum, Steve Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Muthiah Muralidaran and Sreesanth.Full squad of Kochi Tuskers Kerala in IPL 2011Mahela Jayawardene, Deepak Chougule,Brad Hodge, Michael Klinger, VVS Laxman, Chandan Madan, Sushant Marathe, Brendon McCullum, Parthiv Patel, Owais Shah, Steven Smith, Tanmay Srivastava, Yashpal Singh, Gnaneswara Rao, Raiphi Gomez, John Hastings, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Steve O'Keefe, Thisara Perera, Padmanabhan Prasanth, Balachandra Akhil, Muthiah Muralidaran, Ramesh Powar, RP Singh, Sreesanth, Vinay Kumar, Prasanth Parameswaran &nbsp;

The franchise, which played in only one season in IPL 2011 (referred as 2010 season by the BCCI), was terminated by the BCCI for allegedly breaching the terms contract - in this case - failing to submit a bank guarantee before the deadline.

The Bombay High Court has directed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to pay INR 385.50 crore ($44 million) and INR 153.34 crore ($17 million) to Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL) and Rendezvous Sports World (RSW), respectively. The payment has been asked to be made in lieu to wrongfully terminating now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala IPL franchise in September 2011, which was owned by KCPL and RSW. The order was passed in response to the BCCI's appeal against the arbitral order passed in 2015. Why was Kochi Tuskers Kerala terminated? The franchise, which played in only one season in IPL 2011 (referred as 2010 season by the BCCI), was terminated by the BCCI for allegedly breaching the terms contract - in this case - failing to submit a bank guarantee before the deadline. The termination led to arbitral proceeding by both the parties and the decision was announced in favour of the IPL franchise in 2015 against which the BCCI filed an appeal. Also Read - IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Can Shubman Gill’s India break the 23-year-long Headingley jinx According to the BCCI, Kochi failed to submit the bank guarantee even after six month past the deadline for the 2011 season. The original date for the meeting the set criteria was March 2011 but the IPL franchise hadn't submitted the bank guarantee till September 2011, as per the BCCI, following it was issued a termination notice. "Because of the irremediable breach committed by the Kochi franchise, the BCCI has decided to encash the bank guarantee [for 2010] in its possession and also terminate the franchise," BCCI president N Srinivasan had said in 2011 as reported by ESPNCricinfo. How did Kochi Tuskers Kerala perform in IPL 2011? In its only IPL season, Kochi Tuskers Kerala won six and lost eight games out of 14 and finished eighth on the 10-team points table. Who played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala in IPL 2011? The squad by led by former Sri Lanka batter Mahela Jayawardene with other big names being VVS Laxman, Brendon McCullum, Steve Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Muthiah Muralidaran and Sreesanth. Full squad of Kochi Tuskers Kerala in IPL 2011 Mahela Jayawardene, Deepak Chougule,Brad Hodge, Michael Klinger, VVS Laxman, Chandan Madan, Sushant Marathe, Brendon McCullum, Parthiv Patel, Owais Shah, Steven Smith, Tanmay Srivastava, Yashpal Singh, Gnaneswara Rao, Raiphi Gomez, John Hastings, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Steve O'Keefe, Thisara Perera, Padmanabhan Prasanth, Balachandra Akhil, Muthiah Muralidaran, Ramesh Powar, RP Singh, Sreesanth, Vinay Kumar, Prasanth Parameswaran

The franchise, which played in only one season in IPL 2011 (referred as 2010 season by the BCCI), was terminated by the BCCI for allegedly breaching the terms contract - in this case - failing to submit a bank guarantee before the deadline.

Why was IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala terminated? BCCI asked to pay INR 3,855 million to franchise which played only one season

India Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant has confirmed that newly appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill will bat at number four in the first Test against England which starts Friday (Jun 20). Gill, who started his career as an opener, shifted to number three to take over Chesteshwar Pujara's spot later on. He will now have to fill big shoes of Virat Kohli, who retired from Test cricket earlier last month."I think there is still discussion going on, who is going to play 3. But definitely 4 and 5 are fixed. I think Shubman is going to bat at number 4 and I'm going to stick to number 5 as of now. And rest, we are going to keep on discussing about that," said Pant two days out from the first Test as reported by ICC.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-england-name-playing-xi-for-hit-through-the-line-pitch-at-headingley-test-vs-india-1750264461375">IND vs ENG: Only four specialist bowlers in playing XI as England ask for 'hit through the line' pitch for Headingley Test</a>This is the first time in more than a decade that India will be playing without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin - all of whom retired following India's tour of Australia (BGT 2024/25). Pant acknowledged India's inexperience but added that it's an opportunity as well."Obviously, it's a new start for us, big people have left. Yes, there will be a gap, but at the same time, it's an opportunity for us to build a new culture from here or take a culture forward from there, just adding to it,” said Pant.“I think being in a great frame of mind, helping the new players to learn and improve themselves in overseas conditions and sharing knowledge with each other, having that care and love in the dressing room for each other — that is something we are looking forward to do," he added.With Gill set to bat at two down, it is a direct competition between Karun Nair and uncapped Sai Sudharsan for the all important number three slot. Nair, following his breakout domestic season, has been handed a recall to national set-up after an eight-year hiatus while Sudharsan, highly backed by experts, just finished IPL 2025 with Orange Cap (highest run scorer).

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: With Gill set to bat at two down, it is a direct competition between Karun Nair and uncapped Sai Sudharsan for the all important number three slot.

India Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant has confirmed that newly appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill will bat at number four in the first Test against England which starts Friday (Jun 20). Gill, who started his career as an opener, shifted to number three to take over Chesteshwar Pujara's spot later on. He will now have to fill big shoes of Virat Kohli, who retired from Test cricket earlier last month. "I think there is still discussion going on, who is going to play 3. But definitely 4 and 5 are fixed. I think Shubman is going to bat at number 4 and I'm going to stick to number 5 as of now. And rest, we are going to keep on discussing about that," said Pant two days out from the first Test as reported by ICC. Also Read - IND vs ENG: Only four specialist bowlers in playing XI as England ask for 'hit through the line' pitch for Headingley Test This is the first time in more than a decade that India will be playing without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin - all of whom retired following India's tour of Australia (BGT 2024/25). Pant acknowledged India's inexperience but added that it's an opportunity as well. "Obviously, it's a new start for us, big people have left. Yes, there will be a gap, but at the same time, it's an opportunity for us to build a new culture from here or take a culture forward from there, just adding to it,” said Pant. “I think being in a great frame of mind, helping the new players to learn and improve themselves in overseas conditions and sharing knowledge with each other, having that care and love in the dressing room for each other — that is something we are looking forward to do," he added. With Gill set to bat at two down, it is a direct competition between Karun Nair and uncapped Sai Sudharsan for the all important number three slot. Nair, following his breakout domestic season, has been handed a recall to national set-up after an eight-year hiatus while Sudharsan, highly backed by experts, just finished IPL 2025 with Orange Cap (highest run scorer).

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: With Gill set to bat at two down, it is a direct competition between Karun Nair and uncapped Sai Sudharsan for the all important number three slot.

IND vs ENG: Pant confirms Gill will bat at number 4 in Headingly Test but acknowledges 'there will be a gap'

England have asked for a rather batting-friendly surface to 'hit through the line' in the first Test against India which begins on Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. The revelation, two days out of the Test, was made by the official who oversees the grounds in Leeds. The request by England reflected in their playing XI as well which they named on Wednesday (Jun 18) and have only four specialist bowlers to go with all-rounder Ben Stokes.“They (England) just want to have a good surface so it’s true, really, so we can hit through the line of the ball. That’s really what they’re looking for,” Richard Robsinon, head of grounds at Leeds, reported cricket news outlet ESPNCricinfo.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-is-biggest-flop-as-india-test-captain-in-england-dhoni-lost-more-tests-than-kohli-dravid-and-ganguly-combined-1750247416802">Biggest flop as India Test skipper in England? Dhoni lost more matches than Kohli, Dravid and Ganguly combined</a>As for England's playing XI, Zak Crawley is set to open alongside Ben Duckett with Ollie Pope to follow at number 3. Joe Root will bat at two down followed by England's white-ball skipper Harry Brook at five.Skipper Stokes at number six and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith at number seven complete England's batting line-up. Chris Woakes, who is more than handy with the bat, is at number eight with Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir to follow.England will be hopeful to getting the early advantage in five-Test series as India haven't won at the venue (Headingley) since winning under Sourav Ganguly in 2002.India, playing under new skipper Shubman Gill, have a lot to ponder on as they usher into a new area without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin. It also remains to be seen if Jasprit Bumrah, who'd play partial role in the series owing to workload management, makes it to the playing XI.The inexperience of the Indian batting line-up is so massive that England batter Joe Root has more Test hundreds than the entire current India squad combined.&nbsp;England playing XI vs India for 1st Test in Headigley: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

England will be hopeful to getting the early advantage in five-Test series as India haven't won at Headingley, venue for first Test (starts June 20), since winning under Sourav Ganguly in 2002.

England have asked for a rather batting-friendly surface to 'hit through the line' in the first Test against India which begins on Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. The revelation, two days out of the Test, was made by the official who oversees the grounds in Leeds. The request by England reflected in their playing XI as well which they named on Wednesday (Jun 18) and have only four specialist bowlers to go with all-rounder Ben Stokes. “They (England) just want to have a good surface so it’s true, really, so we can hit through the line of the ball. That’s really what they’re looking for,” Richard Robsinon, head of grounds at Leeds, reported cricket news outlet ESPNCricinfo. Also Read - Biggest flop as India Test skipper in England? Dhoni lost more matches than Kohli, Dravid and Ganguly combined As for England's playing XI, Zak Crawley is set to open alongside Ben Duckett with Ollie Pope to follow at number 3. Joe Root will bat at two down followed by England's white-ball skipper Harry Brook at five. Skipper Stokes at number six and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith at number seven complete England's batting line-up. Chris Woakes, who is more than handy with the bat, is at number eight with Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir to follow. England will be hopeful to getting the early advantage in five-Test series as India haven't won at the venue (Headingley) since winning under Sourav Ganguly in 2002. India, playing under new skipper Shubman Gill, have a lot to ponder on as they usher into a new area without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin. It also remains to be seen if Jasprit Bumrah, who'd play partial role in the series owing to workload management, makes it to the playing XI. The inexperience of the Indian batting line-up is so massive that England batter Joe Root has more Test hundreds than the entire current India squad combined. England playing XI vs India for 1st Test in Headigley: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

England will be hopeful to getting the early advantage in five-Test series as India haven't won at Headingley, venue for first Test (starts June 20), since winning under Sourav Ganguly in 2002.

IND vs ENG: Only four specialist bowlers in playing XI as England ask for 'hit through the line' pitch for Headingley Test

The much-awaited Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, a five-match Test series between India and England, kicks off on Friday (Jun 20) at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/leeds">Headingley in Leeds</a>. It promises to be a high-octane series between the two top sides.For India, this series marks the beginning of a new era in Test cricket as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shubman-gill">Shubman Gill </a>takes command of the Indian team after retirement of senior players like <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin. It’s a big moment for Gill and Indian cricket as they look to rebuild the team with young blood.Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-is-biggest-flop-as-india-test-captain-in-england-dhoni-lost-more-tests-than-kohli-dravid-and-ganguly-combined-1750247416802">Biggest flop as India Test skipper in England? Dhoni lost more matches than Kohli, Dravid and Ganguly combined</a>The first challenge?The first challenge for Gill will be to secure a victory at Headingley, a venue where India haven't tasted success in the past 23 years. Their last triumph there was back in 2002 under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly, when Sachin Tendulkar narrowly missed scoring a double-century by just seven runs. Notably, England have dominated this venue since 2017, winning their last five Test matches.A win for Gill in his first Test match as captain would be significant, marking India's return to success after 23 years and ending England's streak of five consecutive Test victories at Headingley.One of the most talked-about topics ahead of the match is the toss. Headingley is known for its challenging conditions, especially early on, and many teams believe winning the toss gives them an edge. But does it?The stats say otherwise - in the last 10 Tests at Headingley, no overseas team has managed to win the game after winning the toss. New Zealand won the toss in 2022 but lost the match. India did the same in 2021 and suffered a defeat. Pakistan in 2018 and Sri Lanka in 2016 also had the same result: winning the toss and losing the match.The last time an overseas team won both the toss and the game here was South Africa in 2008.There’s more data to dig deep - in the past six Tests at Headingley, the team that bowled first ended up winning the match every single time.This means batting first hasn’t worked well at this ground recently. So, going by recent records, India might benefit by losing the toss and getting a chance to bowl first.With a fresh squad and a new leader, Team India will be hoping to start the series with a bang and finally end their Headingley drought.

The first challenge for Gill will be to secure a victory at Headingley, a venue where India haven't tasted success in the past 23 years. Their last triumph there occurred in 2002 under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly.

The much-awaited Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, a five-match Test series between India and England, kicks off on Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. It promises to be a high-octane series between the two top sides. For India, this series marks the beginning of a new era in Test cricket as Shubman Gill takes command of the Indian team after retirement of senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin. It’s a big moment for Gill and Indian cricket as they look to rebuild the team with young blood. Also Read | Biggest flop as India Test skipper in England? Dhoni lost more matches than Kohli, Dravid and Ganguly combined The first challenge? The first challenge for Gill will be to secure a victory at Headingley, a venue where India haven't tasted success in the past 23 years. Their last triumph there was back in 2002 under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly, when Sachin Tendulkar narrowly missed scoring a double-century by just seven runs. Notably, England have dominated this venue since 2017, winning their last five Test matches. A win for Gill in his first Test match as captain would be significant, marking India's return to success after 23 years and ending England's streak of five consecutive Test victories at Headingley. One of the most talked-about topics ahead of the match is the toss. Headingley is known for its challenging conditions, especially early on, and many teams believe winning the toss gives them an edge. But does it? The stats say otherwise - in the last 10 Tests at Headingley, no overseas team has managed to win the game after winning the toss. New Zealand won the toss in 2022 but lost the match. India did the same in 2021 and suffered a defeat. Pakistan in 2018 and Sri Lanka in 2016 also had the same result: winning the toss and losing the match. The last time an overseas team won both the toss and the game here was South Africa in 2008. There’s more data to dig deep - in the past six Tests at Headingley, the team that bowled first ended up winning the match every single time. This means batting first hasn’t worked well at this ground recently. So, going by recent records, India might benefit by losing the toss and getting a chance to bowl first. With a fresh squad and a new leader, Team India will be hoping to start the series with a bang and finally end their Headingley drought.

The first challenge for Gill will be to secure a victory at Headingley, a venue where India haven't tasted success in the past 23 years. Their last triumph here was back in 2002 under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Can Shubman Gill’s India break the 23-year-long Headingley jinx

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IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Can Gill’s India break the 23-year-long Headingley jinx