The much-awaited five-match Test series is all set to begin from June 20 with the first Test to be held in Headingley, Leeds. The series will mark a new chapter for the newly appointed captain Shubman Gill who has been handed over the responsibility after the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The Indian Team will be looking forward to a strong start of their World Test Championship campaign as the series will mark the beginning of 2025-27 cycle.
India’s Probable Playing XI: A Mix Of Youth And Experience
The India squad is mix of young core and experience with the openers being Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul who will bring the perfect stability in taking the innings deep. Sai Sudharsan is sublim and is coming from an exceptional form in IPL 2025 season, he is likely to make his Test debut and bat at no. 3 while the new captain Shubman Gill is expected to fill in the shoes of Test king Virat Kohli at no. 4. Behind the stumps Rishabh Pant will be there and he brings in his incredible batting skills. Karun Nair is also a great addition, he brings in powerful batting and the match-winning ability. Ravindra Jadeja will play a very significant role as the all-rounder. The bowling attack is the perfect mix of pace and spin with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav in action.
Weather And Pitch Conditions At Headingley
The Headingley pitch has a reputation for supporting seam bowlers in terms of pace and bounce, especially in the early stages of a match. Overcast conditions characteristic of Leeds provide perfect weather for swing bowling, which proves a serious obstacle for batsmen. Early on, the ball will probably go around, probing India’s top order technique and temperament. As the Test goes on, the pitch flattens out, providing relief to batsmen. Later in the days, spinners such as Kuldeep and Jadeja can become more dominant as the surface breaks down. The weather forecast indicates partly cloudy with isolated light rain on Days 2 and 4, which could cause interruptions but also help the bowlers.
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India’s Probable Playing XI
Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav
