Table Of Contents
England's recent Test form has been slightly better than India. They have won 3 of their last 5 Test matches. In the last match against Zimbabwe, England properly dominated them to win the match one-sided. England won that match by an innings and 45 runs. Shoaib Bashir bowled brilliantly and took 9 wickets in the match. In batting, Duckett, Crawley, and Ollie Pope scored well. This opening attack pushed Zimbabwe towards a follow on.
India has lost its last Test series against Australia 3-1. This time they will have neither Rohit Sharma nor Virat Kohli. Both have retired from Test cricket. This series will not be easy for new captain Shubman Gill. India had also lost its last match against Australia where Scott Boland did excellent picking up ten wickets.
England will feel confident at home. Their last Test against Zimbabwe was a one-sided one in which they won by an innings. Shoaib Bashir took 9 wickets and the top order scored well. Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Zak Crawley are in form.
England's performance in the WTC 2023-25 cycle was a bit mixed, but this time they would want a strong start to the new cycle. Their aim is to do the damage with the bat in the first test match against India as the pitch will support the batters more than bowlers.
This series is the beginning of a new era for India. The team has become young after the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ashwin. Shubman Gill is the new Test captain, and along with him, new combos like Yashasvi, KL Rahul, Pant, and Karun Nair are getting a chance.
The team has lost the last few Tests against Australia and New Zealand. This series is a sort of a revenge and a momentum builder for India. Batting will be important on the Headingley pitch, and Indian bowlers will have to take advantage of the conditions if they have to win the series.
In total, 136 Test matches were played between England and India. England has won 51 matches, while India has won only 35. The remaining 50 matches were drawn. England's record is clearly better. But this match is important for both teams because it will set the mood for the start of the series.
As per reports, 8mm grass has been placed on the pitch so that the surface does not break. This pitch is batting-friendly and has been made perfect for England's Bazball style. The team which scores the most runs first has a better chance of winning. But if the score is equal in both innings, then the other team has a slight edge to chase.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir.
Injury Update: None
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna.
Injury Updates: None
Joe Root is a brilliant Test batter who loves playing Test cricket. Joe Root is the highest run-getter against India while playing for England. He has scored 2846 runs in 55 innings against India. His highest score is 218 against India in Tests, including 10 hundreds and 11 fifties. Joe Root averages 58.08 against India, which can be a vital factor for his performance in this match.
KL Rahul is in good form since IPL 2025, and he has scored good runs for India A playing against the England domestic team. He will be a lethal weapon for India in the middle order in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He has scored 955 runs against England in overall head-to-head Test matches. He has scored three hundreds and two fifties, with a highest score of 199 against England. KL Rahul averages 39.79 in Tests against England.
Chris Woakes is not just a sole bowler who will give you points in the bowling department, he is a bowling all-rounder who will contribute with the bat as well in this match. Chris Woakes has one hundred and one fifty against India. He also has 23 wickets against India in Test matches, with an average of 33.30 and a best bowling figure of 7/138.
Jasprit Bumrah is the best bowler playing in this match, and he is a main reason for the odds going towards India in the first match. Jasprit Bumrah has 60 wickets against England, with an average of 22.16 and a best of 6/45. Most importantly, his economy is 2.81, which will come into play on the batting-friendly wicket of Leeds. He is also a handy batter who can give you points from his batting.
This match is a vital match to set the tone for the rest of the series. This first match will be played at Headingley, Leeds, which is a batting-friendly wicket with a little help for the fast bowlers. The team winning the toss will look to bat first to put pressure on the bowling side. The odds are in favour of England, being the home team and knowing the conditions much better than the visiting team India. England is looking strong overall to win this match, with the Bazball approach helping them a lot. England will win the first Test against India.
Stay connected with us for England vs India 1st Test live coverage from 3:30 pm, real-time updates and expert match analysis, experience the action as it happens!
Disclaimer: CricOpinion provides predictions based on analysis, understanding, and intuition. Refer to records and stats before making decisions. You are not bound to follow these predictions. CricOpinion is not responsible for any losses, damages, or consequences resulting from the use of this information.
More Links
FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
