XI, Playing Leeds Pitch Report, Weather Report, Live Streaming Details

The highly anticipated England vs India five-match Test series kicks off at Headingley, Leeds, from June 20. It’s the beginning of a new era for India under Shubman Gill, and it all starts at a venue that’s as unpredictable as it is historic. With superstars like Jasprit Bumrah, Joe Root, and Ravindra Jadeja in the spotlight, fans can expect high-quality cricket from the first ball.

It not only starts a new World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle for India but also an era after the Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The likes of Karun Nair and youngster Sai Sudharsan are likely to be included, with captain Gill taking Kohli’s number four slot.

ENG vs IND 1st Test match details

• Date: June 20–24, 2025
• Time: 3:30 PM IST (Toss at 3:00 PM IST)
• Venue: Headingley, Leeds
• Live Telecast: Sony Sports Network
• Live Streaming: JioHotstar

Playing XIs: ENG vs IND

England (Confirmed XI):
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

India (Probable XI):
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Pitch & Weather Report – Headingley, Leeds

The pitch carries a greenish tinge early on and offers assistance to pacers during the first two innings. However, it flattens out later, aiding batters significantly. Since 2010, Headingley has:

• Lowest average (27.48) for innings 1 & 2
• Best average (33.65) for innings 3 & 4
  Teams bowling first have won the last six Tests here.

Weather:
It’s been unseasonably warm and dry in Leeds, but rain is expected across the five days. This may bring swing into play early and possible deterioration later, adding to the intrigue.