ENG vs IND 1st Test Match Preview
India begin their Test tour of England with the first Test at Headingley. After a successful run in home conditions, Team India will be tested in swinging English conditions. England, under Ben Stokes, will look to bounce back after a mixed bag of performances in recent Tests.
Match Details
Match: England vs India, 1st Test
Date: Friday, 20 June 2025
Time: 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Headingley, Leeds
Streaming: SonyLIV, FanCode
Pitch Report – Headingley, Leeds
Day 1: Seamers will enjoy swing and bounce
Day 2–3: Good for batting, high scoring possible
Day 4–5: Pitch slows down, spinners come into play
Toss Advantage: Batting first is ideal
Avg 1st Inn Score: ~298
Weather Forecast
Temperature: 27°C to 30°C
Conditions: Partly cloudy
Rain: 0–20% chance across all days
Wind: Light to moderate breeze (15–20 km/h)
Top Player Stats at Headingley
| Player | Matches | Runs | Avg | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | 10 | 682 | 42 | – |
| Ben Stokes | 6 | 459 | 51 | 8 |
| Chris Woakes | 4 | 149 | 29 | 14 |
Head-to-Head & Recent Test Results
IND won by innings in last encounter (Jaiswal 214, Jadeja 5w)
India lead recent H2H record (3-1 in last 5 Tests)
ENG Home Advantage: Leeds is one of their stronger venues
England Probable Playing 11 & Form
- Ben Duckett
- Zak Crawley
- Ollie Pope (wk)
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes (c)
- Jamie Smith
- Chris Woakes
- Shoaib Bashir
- Josh Tongue
- Brydon Carse
🔥 In-Form: Root, Stokes, Woakes
⚠️ Under Watch: Crawley, Duckett
India Probable Playing 11 & Form
- KL Rahul
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Karun Nair
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Nitish Reddy
- Washington Sundar
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
- Arshdeep Singh
🔥 In-Form: Jaiswal, Bumrah, Jadeja
⚠️ Concerns: Middle-order exposure
Team Analysis
England
- ✅ Strengths: Root’s consistency, Woakes at home, Bashir’s spin
- ❌ Weakness: Top-order collapse trend, new keeper slot
India
- ✅ Strengths: World-class pace (Bumrah, Siraj), explosive Jaiswal
- ❌ Weakness: Middle-order untested, lack of overseas stability
Dream11 Fantasy Tips
✅ Small League Picks
- WK: Rishabh Pant
- BAT: Joe Root, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul
- AR: Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja
- BOWL: Jasprit Bumrah, Chris Woakes
🎯 Grand League Tips
- Add: Ollie Pope, Nitish Reddy, Brydon Carse
- Avoid stacking top-order only, use 3-3-2-3 combination
Best Dream11 Combination (Expert Team)
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | WK |
| Joe Root | BAT |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | BAT |
| KL Rahul | BAT |
| Shubman Gill | BAT |
| Ben Stokes | AR |
| Ravindra Jadeja | AR |
| Jasprit Bumrah | BOWL (C) |
| Chris Woakes | BOWL (VC) |
| Mohammed Siraj | BOWL |
| Shoaib Bashir | BOWL |
🏆 Captain: Jasprit Bumrah – lethal in English conditions, reverse swing expert
🥈 Vice-Captain: Chris Woakes – key with both bat and ball, strong record at Headingley
💡 Alternate C/VC:
- Root (Safe pick in SL)
- Jadeja (If India bats second)
- Jaiswal (High ceiling player for GL)
Top GL Differentials & X-Factor PicksBrydon Carse
Brydon Carse – underrated, picks wickets in clusters
Nitish Reddy – GL-worthy if promoted as batting AR
Shoaib Bashir – wicket-taking spinner in overcast spells
Arshdeep Singh – left-arm angle can exploit early swing
Full Squads
England Squad
Stokes (C), Root, Crawley, Pope, Brook, Duckett, Jamie Smith, Woakes, Bashir, Carse, Tongue, Overton, Sam Cook, Bethell
India Squad
Gill (C), Rahul, Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Pant (wk), Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Sundar, Bumrah, Siraj, Arshdeep, Kuldeep, Shardul, Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, Akash Deep
FAQs – ENG vs IND 1st Test
Q1. Who will win the ENG vs IND 1st Test?
A: England have a slight home advantage, but India’s pace unit makes them dangerous.
Q2. Best SL Captain Pick?
A: Jasprit Bumrah – safe, wicket-taker across innings.
Q3. Best GL Punt?
A: Nitish Reddy or Bashir – if they get favorable matchups.
Q4. Is Joe Root a must-have?
A: Absolutely. High floor, strong H2H record.
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