England won the toss and elected to bowl first in the opening Test of the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle against India at Headingley, Leeds. Under cloudy skies and with favourable bowling conditions early on, Ben Stokes chose to make first use of the pitch.
India, led by new Test captain Shubman Gill, made two key inclusions in their playing XI—Sai Sudharsan, who makes his Test debut and will bat at No.3, and Karun Nair, who returns to the side after missing 77 consecutive Tests since 2017.
Gill said he would have bowled first too but expects the conditions to ease out and become better for batting as the day progresses. He also confirmed that India had a productive practice game and the team is feeling confident.
England’s XI includes Jamie Smith as wicketkeeper and a pace-heavy attack with Woakes, Carse, Tongue, and Stokes himself, alongside spinner Shoaib Bashir.
This Test marks a new era for India with a refreshed middle order and promising new talent on display.
