India Gears Up for Test Series Against England with Final Preparations
Indian Team Prepares for England Test Series
The Indian cricket team has wrapped up its training in Beckenham and is set to travel to Leeds for the first Test match against England, which kicks off on June 20 at Headingley.
On Tuesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a lively video on X, showcasing players during their official photoshoot, filled with laughter and camaraderie.
During the shoot, Jasprit Bumrah highlighted India's logo, vice-captain Rishabh Pant flashed a cheeky grin, and young talent Nitish Kumar Reddy joyfully raised his bat. Veteran all-rounder Shardul Thakur sported a serious expression, while Sai Sudharsan brought humor to the scene, and KL Rahul along with Washington Sundar posed energetically.
Prior to their departure to Leeds, the Indian squad enhanced their preparations by conducting an intra-squad match in Beckenham, focusing on refining their strategies. This five-match Test series marks the beginning of their journey in the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, ushering in a new chapter for Indian cricket.
India will be stepping into a challenging environment where their last Test series victory dates back to 2007. Despite India's historical struggles in England, the home team has evolved into a strong contender under the guidance of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, who have not lost a home Test series since McCullum took charge in 2022.
The fourth-ranked Test side will be without key players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who recently retired from Test cricket. Additionally, the squad will miss the crafty off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who also stepped away from international play during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India's Test squad for the England series includes: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), 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, and Kuldeep Yadav.
England's squad for the first Test against India features: Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (captain), Josh Tongue, and Chris Woakes.