1st Test: Sudharsan handed debut as England elect to bowl
What's the story
The highly-anticipated five-match Test series between hosts England and India is finally underway at the iconic Headingley Stadium in Leeds. Shubman Gill will lead a young Indian side as talismans like Virat Kohli and Rohit have retired from Test cricket. Meanwhile, England skipper Ben Stokes has won the toss and elected to bowl. In another major news, Sai Sudharsan makes his Test debut and Karun Nair also returns to the XI.
Challenge
Key details about Indian XI
Gill's captaincy debut comes as a major change for the Indian cricket team. The absence of Kohli and Rohit adds to the challenge. In Kohli's absence, Gill will bat at Number 4 with vice-captain Rishabh Pant at number five. Sudharsan, meanwhile, is slated to bat at three. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is the lone spinner in the line-up as Jasprit Bumrah is available. While Nair is likely to bat at six, Shardul Thakur pips Nitish Kumar Reddy in the XI.
Information
A look at India's XI
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Debut
Sudharsan makes his debut
Notably, Sudharsan was selected in the XI ahead of Abhimanyu Easwaran. The former enjoyed a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, scoring 759 runs for Gujarat Titans and winning the Orange Cap. Despite not having a stellar First-Class record, his technique, temperament, consistency, and strokeplay make him an attractive prospect. Sudharsan will enter his debut Test with 1,957 FC runs at 39.93 (100s: 7, 50s: 5).
Nair
Nair has been on a roll
Meanwhile, Nair was a consistent run-scorer in the domestic circuit last season, scoring four centuries from nine Ranji Trophy games. He has overall accumulated 8,470 runs from 116 FC matches at 49.82 (100s: 24, 50s: 36). This includes a recent double-hundred against England Lions. Notably, Nair scored a historic Test triple-century against England, in 2016. Having last played for India in 2017, Nair owns 374 Test runs at 62.33.
Team composition
England's Playing XI
Meanwhile, England had already announced their Playing XI on the eve of the game. Jacob Bethel has been dropped while Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse have returned. England playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (Captain), Jamie Smith (Wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir.
Historical dominance
A look at Headingley Stadium's stats
As has been the case, Headingley will offer a balanced track, with pacers getting early swing. The pitch will dry up and aid the batters going forward. As per the weather forecast, the temperature will remain around 29 degrees Celcius, with some showers possible on June 21. As per ESPNcricinfo, England haven't lost a Test at Headingley since August 2017. India, meanwhile, have played seven Tests here winning two and losing four while one ended in a draw.
Match statistics
Here is the head-to-head record
India and England have played 136 Tests since their first meeting in 1932. India have won 35 matches while England has won 51 times. The remaining 50 matches have ended in draws. On English soil, the two teams have played 67 matches with India winning nine and losing on 36 occasions. Notably, India won two Tests during the 2021-22 drawn series in England. Meanwhile, India's last Test series triumph in England dates back to 2007.
Player spotlight
Here are the key numbers
Root, the highest run-scorer of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle, owns 2,846 runs against India. He could become the first player with 3,000 Test runs against India. His tally of 10 Test tons is also the most against India. Notably, Bumrah has dismissed Root as many as nine times in Test cricket. The former overall owns 60 wickets at 22.16 against England. Meanwhile, Gill averages just 14.66 in six Test innings in England.