๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ ๐๐
England
India
The first Test between England and India at Headingley will mark the beginning of the new World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle for both teams. England will play at home, where they have usually had the upper hand in this rivalry. On the other hand, India will look to start strong under their new captain, Shubman Gill. Ben Stokes will continue to lead England.
India has not won a Test series in England since 2007. They did finish third in the last WTC cycle but have lost two finals โ in 2021 and 2023. England, who finished fifth in the last cycle, are still searching for their first WTC final appearance.
India dominated the last Test series between these two sides, winning 4 of the 5 matches at home. However, playing in England will present a different challenge. Headingleyโs conditions will suit Englandโs pace attack, and Indiaโs top order will be put to the test.
Root, Brook, and Duckett will enjoy batting in home conditions, so England batters are better placed to dominate in the first Test.
The betting tip is...
Top Batterโs Team - England
64 %
36 %
EnglandIndiaEngland will rely on Joe Root to lead their batting in the first Test. He has an average of 61.19 in his last 10 matches and was the highest run-scorer in the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Harry Brook will also be a key batter, averaging 56.53 in the same period.ย
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open the innings, while Ollie Pope will take the middle-order role. These four, along with Root, will form Englandโs core batting group.
Gus Atkinson will miss this Test, while Jofra Archer, who has been out since 2021, could return later in the series. Veteran Chris Woakes will strengthen the pace unit with 32 wickets last year. Shoaib Bashir will lead spin, coming with a 9-wicket haul against Zimbabwe. Sam Cook, Josh Tongue, and all-rounders Ben Stokes, Jamie Overton and Brydon Carse will complete the lineup.
Root, Duckett, Pope and Brook are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Chris Woakes, Shoaib Bashir, Josh Tongue/Sam Cook.
India will begin a new era in Tests without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ashwin for the first time in years. Rahane and Pujara have not been considered for the series. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul will most likely open the innings, with Shubman Gill set to bat at number three.ย
Karun Nair will return to the Test side and take the number four position. Nitish Kumar Reddy will be slotted in the middle order alongside Rishabh Pant, who will keep wickets and continue his attacking style despite recent struggles with the bat.
Jadeja and Bumrah will lead the bowling attack with their experience. Siraj and Shardul are expected to start, while Arshdeep will be the only left-arm seamer in the match. Kuldeep Yadav may miss out, with Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep providing bench strength, as Bumrah will play only 3 matches in the series.
Jaiswal, Rahul, Gill and Nair are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Yashasvi Jasiwal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
This will be a tough start for India in England without senior batters like Kohli and Rohit. Their new-look top order will face a strong challenge, especially if they bat first in overcast Headingley conditions.
England's bowlers could get early movement and test Indiaโs resilience. On the other hand, Englandโs top four have solid records at home and will enjoy batting on a familiar surface.
Joe Root and Harry Brook have been in great touch in red-ball cricket, and their form could make a big difference. With Root averaging over 60 in the last 10 Tests, England's top order looks more settled. Bumrah and Siraj will have to work hard for breakthroughs. England holds a slight edge with the bat.
