The five-match Test series between India and England began at Headingley in Leeds, with England winning the toss and deciding to bowl first. England captain Ben Stokes said the team wants to capitalise on the early conditions, which often favour fast bowlers.
The match marks a new chapter for Indian cricket, as young players step into key roles against a strong England side on their home ground. India is playing under a new test captain, Shubman Gill, and has included several new faces in the squad. Young batter Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut and was given his cap by senior player Cheteshwar Pujara before the toss. Karun Nair also returned to the team after an eight-year gap.
Gill said he would have also bowled first if he had won the toss. “The first session might be a bit tricky, but it should get better for batting later. We had a good practice match in Beckenham, and the team is feeling confident. Sai will bat at No. 3 and Karun is back in the team,” he said.
This is India’s first major Test series after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the format. The batting line-up is now led by young players like Jaiswal, Rahul, Gill, and debutant Sudharsan. Karun Nair, who last played a Test in 2017, missed 77 matches between appearances, the fourth-longest gap for an Indian player.
England’s line-up also includes some new bowlers, like Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue. Stokes said the team is ready and wants to take advantage of the pitch early on.
Playing XIs:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
