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

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