ENG vs IND, 1st Test: New era. No mercy. Trial by Bazball awaits Gill's NextGen

India Today

5 hours ago

"In my entire career so far, I've never walked into a team environment where neither Virat nor Rohit is present," KL Rahul said, reflecting on the changing face of Indian Test cricket.When India walk out at Headingley on Friday, it won't just be the start of a new World Test Championship cycle. It will also be the beginning of a new chapter - one without three pillars of the previous era: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin. Their absence marks a quiet but clear turning point, and with it comes opportunity.advertisementSince Rahul's debut in December 2014 - and even going back to August 2011 - at least one of the trio has featured in every Indian Test. Now, for the first time in over a decade, a new generation takes centre stage.
There's no doubt the transition has come quickly. But there's also a sense of excitement. Under Shubman Gill's captaincy, a young and hungry Indian side arrives in England with fresh energy, very little baggage, ready to make its mark. The challenges are real - playing a five-Test series in England always is - but so is the potential.For new captain Shubman Gill and his young side, there is no gentle handover. It is a trial by fire. And it begins at Leeds where India haven't played much since their famous win in 2002.advertisementShubman Gill's appointment as Test captain did raise eyebrows. At 25, and still finding his feet in red-ball cricket, his elevation marks a bold and telling shift in approach from the selectors and team management. A white-ball star, Gill has now been handed the reins in the toughest format, with the hope that responsibility will sharpen his edge rather than weigh him down.It's not without precedent. Back in 2014, a 26-year-old Virat Kohli took over a team in transition after MS Dhoni's sudden retirement midway through the Australia series. Kohli rose to the occasion and went on to carve his name among the greats of Indian Test cricket.Can Gill do the same? Why not.He's made his ambitions clear. Test captaincy, he said, is the highest honour for a cricketer - and come Friday, he intends to lead with clarity and calm in the dressing room. More than that, he's set himself a goal: to be the best batter in the series. It's a lofty aim, especially given his modest record in overseas conditions. But Gill has never lacked for belief - and that, at times, can be half the battle. It won't be easy. Not for Gill, and not for head coach Gautam Gambhir, who's already under pressure after successive series defeats. India were outplayed at home against New Zealand and on tour in Australia. Gambhir survived, but with England away on the horizon, the leash may not be long.advertisementBoth Gill and Gambhir now have a point to prove. And they'll have to do it with a young, relatively inexperienced squad. KL Rahul, with 58 Tests behind him, is the most seasoned batter. The bowling attack offers a little more familiarity, though Mohammed Shami's absence will be felt. The 19-man squad includes uncapped names like Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Arshdeep Singh, while Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur are looking to re-establish themselves.On paper, India still look competitive. But five Tests in England are a different beast, especially against a side that has made home dominance their identity in the Bazball era.England have been ruthless at home in the Bazball era. Since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took charge, their ultra-aggressive batting approach has bulldozed opposition sides and made even steep fourth-innings targets look chaseable. India were on the receiving end of that in 2022, and since the Bazball revolution began, England have won 15 of their 20 Tests - a win-loss ratio of 3.75, second only to Australia.advertisementBut this series marks England's first major test in the post-Anderson and Broad era. Injuries have further depleted their resources - Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are unavailable, leaving Chris Woakes to lead a relatively inexperienced attack. His new-ball partners, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, have just eight Tests between them. Lead spinner Shoaib Bashir, though promising, is still early in his career with 16 Tests under his belt. Captain Stokes, returning from injury, will likely have to shoulder the fifth bowler's role.ENG vs IND: HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDSIndia and England have played 136 Tests against each other. India have won 35 of them, lost 51 while 50 of them have ended in a draw.In England, India have played 67 Tests and won only nine of them. Two of those wins came in their last tour under Virat Kohli's captaincy.At Headingley, India have played seven Tests, won two and lost four.ENG vs IND: HEADINGLEY PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONSThe pitch at Headingley had a green tinge on the eve of the Test match. Expect a bit of grass covering on the pitch on the opening day, aiding movement for the pacers. Both Gill and Stokes pointed out that the start of the English summer has been drier than normal. However, there is a bit of rain predicted on all five days of the Test match. The overhead conditions will dictate the course of play, but if the weather stays clear, the pitch will progressively get better for batting. Spin might come into play if the weather stays clear and allows the pitch to crumble.advertisementTeams winning the toss have tended to opt to bowl here. In the last six Tests at the venue, teams bowling first have gone on to win the Test matches.254 for 7, 296 for 3, 362 for 9, 322 for 5 have been the last four successful fourth innings chases at this venue since 2017.TEAM NEWS: ENG vs IND, 1st TestEngland named their playing XI two days before the Test match. Ollie Pope retains his place in the side ahead of Jacob Bethell while the hosts have gone with three frontline pacer and a spinner.ENGLAND PLAYING XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, ?Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.advertisementINDIA PREDICTED XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.Shubman Gill is set to bat at No. 4, filling the spot long held by Virat Kohli. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant will follow at No. 5, anchoring a middle order in transition. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul are likely to open, while India are yet to finalise their No. 3. Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Karun Nair are all in the mix.Nair, back in the Test setup after seven years, appears to be the frontrunner. He scored a double hundred against the England Lions earlier this month and was seen taking slip catches in training, unlike Sudharsan and Easwaran, who had limited net time.In the bowling department, Jadeja, Bumrah, and Siraj pick themselves. The third seamer's slot is likely a toss-up between Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and left-armer Arshdeep Singh. For the fast-bowling all-rounder role, it could come down to Shardul Thakur or Nitish Reddy. Given Bumrah's workload management, Thakur's experience and bowling ability may give him the edge.ENG vs IND, 1st TEST: PLAYERS TO WATCHKL Rahul: Having made his mark in England in 2021-22, the senior-most specialist batter in the side needs to shoulder the burden of scoring big at the top in the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.Rishabh Pant: The wicketkeeper-batter, now the vice-captain, needs to find the balance between his natural game and playing according to the demands of the situation. If Pant gets going in the middle-order, India's batting will be a formidable force.Mohammed Siraj: After an ordinary series in Australia, Siraj roared back to form in the IPL 2025 season for Gujarat Titans. The Hyderabad pacer will be determined to prove a point in England where he found a lot of success in 2021-22. He needs to step up as Bumrah is all set to play only three of the five Tests.Chris Woakes: The seam-bowling all-rounder has been England's most successful bowler after the retirements of Broad and Anderson. If England are to do well in the series opener, Woakes needs to fire.Ben Stokes: All eyes will be on Stokes's body as the skipper might need to bowl those extra overs to give cushion to a young bowling unit.Joe Root: A good start to England's all-time run-getter will set the series up for the hosts. Root's battle against Bumrah, his nemesis, will be one to watch out for.ENG vs IND, 1st TEST PREDICTIONEngland may hold a slight edge heading into the series opener, but with so many unknowns in this Indian side, don't be surprised if they exceed expectations. You May Also Like