Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey
England squad for 1st India Test: Ben Stokes (C), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (WK), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
India’s squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
ENG vs IND 1st Test 2025 Preview:
Match Details
When: 20 June 2025 – 24 June 2025.
Where: Headingley, Leeds.
Headingley, Leeds Venue Analysis and Pitch Report
Venue Analysis:
In the two Tests played in the two years before COVID, 69 wickets fell at an average of just 22.10. In contrast, the three Tests played since the pandemic have seen 100 wickets fall, but at a significantly higher average of 30.77 — a jump of 8.67 runs per wicket. The scoring rate has also climbed from 3.16 to 3.63 runs per over. The last time India played at Headingley, back in 2021, they were bundled out for just 78 runs in 40.4 overs in the first innings. Full scorecard: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-tour-of-england-2021-2022-1239527/england-vs-india-3rd-test-1239545/full-scorecard
Headingley has traditionally favoured slightly fuller lengths, making it a “pitch it up” venue. In recent years, the surface has also tended to be a little on the drier side.
England have a 100% record at this venue since 2021, winning all three Tests — and interestingly, all after fielding first.
In fact, since 2010, teams chasing have won seven Tests at Headingley, while those batting first have won only four, making it more of a “win the toss, bowl first” venue. Even the innings-wise numbers back this up — batting becomes progressively easier as the match goes on.
Add to it that there has hardly been any rain in Leeds since February.
“They (England) just want to have a good surface so it’s true, really, so we can hit through the line of the ball,” said Richard Robinson, Yorkshire’s head of grounds. “That’s really what they’re looking for.” As per ESPNcricinfo, Richard expects it to “do a little bit” on the first day and to flatten out quite quickly because of the heat expected.
The forecast for the Test is for it to get hotter, closer to 30 degrees, but it is not likely to break up the surface, which can make it rewarding for the side bowling first.
India’s Predicted XI for 1st Test against England
Rishabh Pant confirmed in the press conference that Shubman Gill will drop down to number four, with Pant himself set to bat at five. There’s still some deliberation around who takes the number three spot.
At the moment, Karun Nair appears to be the frontrunner. After scoring a double century against the England Lions, he batted at number three for India in the tour game against India A, and has also been fielding at first slip during practice. There’s also a slim chance that Sudharsan could slot in at three, with Nair shifting to the middle order. Or perhaps Sudharsan – who initially was the frontrunner to bat at three – could be considered for the number six spot, which still remains up for grabs, though highly unlikely.
The other strong middle-order contender is Dhruv Jurel, who scored 227 runs in four innings for India A, including three consecutive half-centuries. He also impressed during the tour of Australia.
However, although Reddy looked rusty in both India A games, given India’s preference for depth in both departments under Gautam Gambhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy — who scored nearly 300 runs, including a century, on his debut tour in Australia — could get the nod and slot in at six. As per Revsportz, he also bowled a significant number of overs in India’s first official practice session at Beckenham, signalling his rise as a serious candidate for a spot in the first XI.
“The more bowling options we can have, that’s great. He’s skillful. He’s a guy that can bowl that magical ball, so for him it’s about creating that consistency, it’s something we want to work on, it’s important for his game as well,” India bowling coach Morne Morkel said of Reddy. “I’ve had conversations where I’ve challenged him to bowl a bit more.
“I want to see the ball more in his hands, we all know what he can do with the bat. For a team, if we can have the bowling options especially in these conditions, I think he’ll be exciting and can complement this bowling attack.”
With Bumrah, Siraj, and Prasidh expected to start as the three seamers, only the number eight spot remains up for grabs. Once again, given India’s preference for depth, Shardul Thakur may get the nod as the seam-bowling all-rounder
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul
- Karun Nair
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Shardul Thakur
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
However, I personally would prefer Kuldeep Yadav over Shardul Thakur. While Thakur certainly offers more with the bat, winning Test matches ultimately comes down to taking 20 wickets — and Kuldeep gives you that cutting edge. That’s not to say Thakur is ineffective with the ball; in fact, he had a very solid Ranji Trophy season (with both bat and ball). But in the recent A games against the England Lions, he looked off-colour, managing just two wickets in 43 overs and struggling to maintain the same intensity across spells.
Also, as mentioned earlier, the surface at Headingley has tended to be on the drier side of late — another factor that supports Kuldeep’s inclusion. In fact, Jarrod Kimber also pointed out in this podcast that this has been one of the driest summers in the UK, making it difficult for groundskeepers to retain moisture in the pitches.
Kuldeep has also shown he can stick around with the bat. Since 2022, he has averaged 57 balls per dismissal (and 20.71 runs) across nine Test innings. However, it’s worth noting that all those innings came in Asia.
If at all India want a proper all-rounder at No. 8, keeping the conditions in mind, they also have the option of turning to Washington Sundar.
England’s XI (announced)
- Ben Duckett
- Zak Crawley
- Ollie Pope
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes (c)
- Jamie Smith (wk)
- Chris Woakes
- Brydon Carse
- Shoaib Bashir
- Josh Tongue
All key player notes for England have already been covered in this piece.
Key Matchups
- Shubman Gill vs. Chris Woakes
Although Gill has never faced Woakes in Test cricket, this could be a fascinating battle. Woakes has revitalised his career by mastering the wobble seam delivery, becoming more effective even away from home. Gill, on the other hand, has long struggled against deliveries that come back into him, and Woakes’ nip-backer could pose a serious challenge.
However, Gill might benefit from his new role at four. Ahead of him in the order are the resolute KL Rahul — who, even if not scoring big, tends to soak up plenty of deliveries with his disciplined leaves and solid defence — and an in-form Karun Nair. If they blunt the new ball, Gill could walk in once conditions are a touch easier, giving him a better platform to counter Woakes and the rest of the English attack.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal vs. Chris Woakes
At times, Jaiswal tends to play across his front pad. Woakes might look to set him up with a series of deliveries shaping away, before slipping in a fuller one that nips back in and hits him on the pad. It’s a ploy he executed effectively in the England Lions vs India A match, trapping Yashasvi lbw.
- Joe Root vs. Jasprit Bumrah
Unarguably the marquee battle of the series — and one that could well define it. Two modern-day greats, both in sublime form, going head-to-head. Bumrah vs. Root promises to be nothing short of epic.
So far, Root has scored 286 runs off Bumrah in Tests at an average of 31.8, but Bumrah has dismissed him nine times — the third-most by any bowler in Root’s Test career.
- BazBall vs. non-Bumrah Indian pacers
We’ve seen in the past that bowlers like Siraj and Shardul can lose their radar when put under pressure — something England will almost certainly look to exploit. The likely plan? Play out Bumrah, while going after the rest.
Prasidh Krishna did show improved line control in the IPL, but whether that carries over to the red-ball format — where consistency across long spells is key — remains to be seen. A key factor will be how the seamers, especially Siraj (who, unlike in the Australia tour last year, isn’t overworked coming into this series), hold up. Their response could very well decide how India fare with the ball.
- BazBall vs. Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep has been in excellent rhythm lately. Ever since tweaking his action, he’s been getting more overspin on the ball, which could draw English batters into false shots, especially while sweeping. The drier surfaces this time around could well work in his favour if he gets the opportunity to play.
- Harry Brook vs. Ravindra Jadeja
Brook has had his fair share of struggles against left-arm spin across formats, making his battle with Ravindra Jadeja fascinating — not just in this Test, but across the entire series.
