Team India's predicted XI vs England, H2H stats, most runs, most wickets: All you need to know ahead of 1st Test

Hindustan Times

20-06-2025

The five-Test series between England and India, starting June 20 at Headingley, marks a defining moment for both teams, but more so for India, who step into the longest format without three of their era-defining greats: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Their sudden retirement announcements have forced a hard reset, with Shubman Gill now leading a side full of youthful promise.
Gautam Gambhir remains at the helm of the generational transition, as India look to build their next red-ball core. Gill, 25, becomes the country's youngest Test captain since Sachin Tendulkar and will be under scrutiny as he tries to stitch together a cohesive unit from a group full of exciting potential but short on experience in English conditions.
England, meanwhile, are continuing their Bazball experiment under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. They've named a batting-heavy XI for the opener, which could be both a show of confidence and a gamble against an Indian attack led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
The last time these two sides met in England was during the unfinished 2021–22 series, which India led 2-1 before the fifth Test was postponed. England bounced back to draw the series 2-2 with a record chase at Edgbaston in 2022.
India haven't won a Test series in England since 2007, and with an unproven top-order and several selection headaches, such as Karun Nair's return, Sai Sudharsan's possible debut, and the makeup of the bowling attack, this opener at Headingley will be a litmus test of Gill's leadership and Gambhir's tactical nous.
Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul
Middle-order: Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk)
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav
Team India has faced England on 136 occasions in the longest format, clinching victories in 35 Tests, while losing 51. Their last Test series ended in a 4-1 win for India at home, though.
In England, both teams have squared off in 67 Tests, with England winning 36 Tests. India have won 9. In the previous Test series on English soil, however, India performed impressively, taking a 2-1 lead after four matches before the final Test was postponed to next year due to Covid-19 concerns. England eventually won the fifth Test at Edgbaston to draw 2-2.
In their last 10 Tests, India hold a superior record with six wins and a draw.
Joe Root holds the record for most runs in Test matches between the two countries, with 2846 runs to his name. Sachin Tendulkar is the highest among Indians and the second-highest overall, with 2535 runs.
James Anderson, meanwhile, leads the wicket-taking list by a fair margin in Tests between India and England, with 149 dismissals to his name. India's Ravichandran Ashwin is second with 114 wickets. Interestingly, none of the cricketers in the squads across both teams feature in the top 5 in the highest wicket-takers lists.