B Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut for India as England won the toss and opted to bowl first in the opening match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley on Friday. The five-Test series also marks the beginning of a new World Test Championship cycle for both teams.
Sudharsan, who plays for Tamil Nadu and Surrey in the County Championship, became India&rsquo;s 317th Test player. He was handed his cap by Cheteshwar Pujara, now in the commentary box for this series. Sudharsan will bat at number three, following the footsteps of Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and Virat Kohli, who also debuted in Tests on June 20 in past years.
Karun Nair makes a notable return to the Test side after seven years and will bat at number six. Shardul Thakur is selected as the pace-bowling all-rounder, while Prasidh Krishna joins Bumrah and Siraj in a three-man pace attack. Ravindra Jadeja is the lone specialist spinner, leaving no room for Kuldeep Yadav.
Shubman Gill leads India for the first time in Tests. "We&rsquo;d have bowled first too," he said. "But the surface looks good for batting after the first session."
Ben Stokes, England&rsquo;s captain, expressed confidence despite mixed preparation. "Headingley usually offers something early on. We&rsquo;re ready and excited," he noted.
Playing XIs: India: Jaiswal, Rahul, Sudharsan, Gill (c), Pant (vc &amp; wk), Nair, Jadeja, Thakur, Bumrah, Siraj, Krishna England: Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (c), Smith (wk), Woakes, Carse, Tongue, Bashir
[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.]
&nbsp;

Sudharsan Debuts as England Bowl First in 1st Test at Leeds

Sai Sudharsan earns Test cap as India face England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy opener at Headingley

Sudharsan Debuts as England Bowl First in 1st Test at Leeds

Sai Sudharsan earns Test cap as India face England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy opener at Headingley

June 20, 2025 | 21:07 IST