&nbsp;India&rsquo;s fresh-faced Test team will take on England in the much-anticipated first match of a five-Test series at Headingley, Leeds, from June 20. Though the Pataudi Trophy name may have changed, the fierce rivalry between the two cricketing powerhouses remains as intense as ever.
The Indian squad, in a period of transition, arrives in England with a point to prove. After a 3-0 whitewash by New Zealand and a 3-1 loss to Australia, their red-ball credentials have come under scrutiny. Now, under new captain Shubman Gill, and without veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R. Ashwin, India will field a youthful team anchored by experienced hands like K.L. Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja.
Middle-order responsibility may fall on Karun Nair, whose stellar domestic form &mdash; including 736 runs in county cricket and a prolific Ranji Trophy season &mdash; earned him a recall. His record in England with Northamptonshire also bolstered his case.
England, meanwhile, continue their aggressive Bazball era, winning 8 of their last 12 series. However, with James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Jofra Archer out, they&rsquo;ll rely on the relatively untested pace duo of Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse. Woakes remains a proven threat in home conditions, while Carse has picked up 27 wickets in five Tests at under 20.
India&rsquo;s top order will be key. KL Rahul, likely to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, has a strong record in England and will aim to blunt the new ball. Gill&rsquo;s expected No. 4 role puts him up against spinner Shoaib Bashir, a duel that could shape the middle overs.
For England, batting firepower will be expected from Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ben Duckett, while they hope Woakes continues his home dominance. Spinner Shoaib Bashir could play a holding role if conditions favour turn.
India&rsquo;s 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&rsquo;s Squad: 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, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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India’s New-Look Test Side Faces England at Headingley

Gill-led young India battles England’s raw pace attack in the first Test of the five-match series

India’s New-Look Test Side Faces England at Headingley

Gill-led young India battles England’s raw pace attack in the first Test of the five-match series

June 18, 2025 | 17:57 IST