India starts a new Test cricket era without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, with Shubman Gill as captain and Rishabh Pant as his deputy. The squad will tour England and play a five-match Test series at the commencement of June 20, 2021, at Headingley in Leeds. The series also consists of the first cycle of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.
India wanted to make a good impression with its combination of old and new generations, as well as the long-awaited debut of Karun Nair, who returns after eight years. England, on the other hand, has already declared their playing XI in the first Test.
India Team Overview
It is the calm before the storm. Indian cricket team supporters are anticipating the kick-off of the India vs England series on June 20, following the high-intensity game of IPL 2025. This time the initial Test match will be in Leeds. The composition of India’s playing eleven has many mysteries, particularly following the retirement of an opener and a No. 4 batsman in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, respectively.
The next old man in the Indian team under Shubman Gill is KL Rahul, who still has something to prove, as his average records in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) nations are so average.
England Team Preview
England is in bold, aggressive mode into the 1st Test against India under the guidance of their captain, Ben Stokes, and the philosophy of Bazball mentioned by Brendon McCullum.
The team has a great batting order that has Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Harry Brook. Their bowling has been fronted with Pacer Chris Woakes and the spinner Shoaib Bashir, who will challenge the authority of India on home soil. England is looking at breaking with fearless cricket.
India vs England, 1st Test: Match Details
| Match | India vs England, 1st Test |
| Venue | Leeds stadium |
| Date & Time (IST) | June 20-24, 3:30 PM |
| Live Broadcast and Streaming Details | JioStar Network Channels, JioHotstar (App & Website) |
India vs England, 1st Test: Pitch Report
Reports state that on June 18, two days before the commencement of the first Test of the five-match series, the Leeds wicket was covered with green grass. The surface, however, was covered for the majority of the day, suggesting a conservative approach to pitch preparation in the face of erratic weather.
India vs England, 1st Test: Weather Report
The report predicts that the first three days of the weather will be sunny and bright in Leeds, with highs of 29°C. On Days 4 and 5, temperatures are predicted to drop to 23°C, and there may be some light rain, which could affect the second half of the game.
India vs England, 1st Test: Toss Report
Teams will most likely prefer to bat first.
India vs England, 1st Test: Team Analysis
India Strength: India has a new energy as the captain, Shubman Gill, will be seen at the helm of a rejuvenated top order. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the openers and they offer experience and brilliance, whereas Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair offer an additional amount of depth.
Their set of fast bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, is a daunting picture of English swing receptor. The recall of Rishabh Pant has united the middle order with blistering strokeplay on the one hand and a stinging pair of gloves on the other.
India Weakness: The problem with India is lack of Test match experience in such a climate; their middle-order (Sudharsan, Nair) is to be tested the hardest it has ever been. The confusion of balance can be indicated by the selection of a seam-bowling all rounder such as Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur.
The overdependence on Bumrah may have some exposures in case he is not available or not in form.
England Strength: The story of the England XI captained by Ben Stokes revolves around the fearless approach of Bazball. In the batting column, they hold the same Ollie Pope (No. 3), Joe Root and in-form Harry Brook has burned up 809 runs at a century-scoring standard in the Test match.
Their opening pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett can be combative and their wicketkeeper Jamie Smith is resilient.
England weaknesses: England may be strong in their core group of bowlers, although their seam trio is not vastly experienced despite the hype. Spin remains weak, Bashir has potential unmatched by a rich counterpart.
They have a weak middle order when major wickets are lost at the start- Root and Stokes are very important and early troubles will leave the lower middle order in difficulty.
India vs England, 1st Test: Key Players
India:
Shubman Gill: Shubman Gill has to lead by example as the youngest ever Test captain of India. Gill, with his sleek stroke play and versatile ability to swing, is probably the best bet on the Indian side to stand up against the new ball of the English team.
With the confidence brought about by his Gabba heroics and positive post-innings action at recent away matches, Gill, in his collected nature and confident beginning, can lead India to perform either the first or the second innings in difficult conditions.
Jasprit Bumrah: In English seaming wickets, Bumrah is the ace India has got. His accuracy and awkward angles will be a deadly weapon due to the fact he has had more than 50 wickets in the incumbent WTC cycle and he is in total control of both conventional and reverse swing.
The capacity of Bumrah to attack early and create a breakthrough of the second spell might determine the future of India in the cloudy weather at Headingley.
England:
Joe Root: Root is the strength of England in Test cricket and more so at home. His exposure to India and his talent at dealing with spin and pace is what makes him essential.
With an average of above 50 in his previous two seasons of home Test cricket, the measured nature of Root in the middle order provides England with what is expected to be a moderating effect in the face of its Bazball machismo and is central to establishing big scores.
Chris Woakes: Woakes is a player who is sometimes underestimated, but he succeeds in the conditions of his home in the English climate and especially with the Dukes ball. The fact that he can swing it either way and provide with the bat is of so much value.
His ball average at home runs below 23 and he has been in good form in the recent past. The ability of Woakes to take the new ball and tentacle down the order will be key against India pace battery.
India vs England, 1st Test: Probable Playing XIs
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir.
India vs England Test: Head-to-Head Records
Total Test Series Played: 36
England Wins: 17
India Wins: 11
Drawn Series: 8
India vs England, 1st Test: Dream 11 Prediction
Wicket-Keeper: Rishabh Pant, Jamie Smith
Batters: KL Rahul (c), Ben Stokes (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Brydon Carse
Bowlers: Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna
India vs England Test: Full Squad
India squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.
England squad: 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.
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