Indian Cricket Team Embarks on England Tour for Test Series
Departure for the Test Series
On June 6, the Indian cricket team departed from Mumbai Airport, heading to England for a five-match Test series that forms part of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Series Schedule and Venues
The matches are set to take place from June to August 2025 at various iconic venues, including Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, as well as Old Trafford in Manchester.
Team Transition and Leadership Changes
This series marks India's first bilateral Test series following the recent retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket. The team is in a phase of transition, with Shubman Gill stepping up as captain while R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli have exited the longest format.
Historical Context
India has not secured a Test series victory in England since 2007. To gear up for the series, several players had previously arrived to compete for India A in warm-up matches against the England Lions. The remaining members of the touring squad are expected to reach the UK on Friday.
Current Matches and Preparations
Currently, India A is engaged in a three-match unofficial Test series against the England Lions. The first match concluded in a draw, while the second unofficial Test is scheduled to commence on June 6 at the County Ground in Northampton.
England's Squad Announcement
In preparation for the opening Test at Headingley, England has announced their squad. The team has undergone several changes since their 4-1 Test series loss to India last year, with veteran pacer James Anderson retiring and players such as Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, and Ollie Robinson being dropped.
Squads Overview
India's Test squad for the England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
The English squad: Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain, Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).