Leeds, June 18, 2025 — The English summer is heating up, and with it comes the excitement of another high-profile Test series. As India roll into Headingley for the first Test starting June 20, England have dropped their cards on the table—bringing back all-rounder Chris Woakes and handing Brydon Carse his first home Test start.
It’s a statement move from skipper Ben Stokes, who’ll be leading a squad that mixes familiar firepower with a couple of fresh sparks. With the conditions likely to favour seam early on, Woakes’ return is no surprise. The 36-year-old last donned the whites in December and will be raring to go on a ground that suits his swing-friendly style.
Meanwhile, Carse finally gets a crack at playing in front of a home crowd after stints in Pakistan and New Zealand. The Durham pacer has been quietly impressive overseas, and Headingley will be his chance to show he belongs on home turf too.
Bazball Rolls On with Familiar Faces
England’s top order remains unchanged, staying true to their aggressive, ‘Bazball’ roots. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open the innings with the same no-fear attitude that’s defined this era. Ollie Pope holds the No. 3 slot, while Joe Root—playing on his home ground—will again be the anchor at No. 4.
Harry Brook keeps his place at No. 5, and Jamie Smith continues behind the stumps, stepping in after Bairstow’s long-format break. Stokes, ever the talisman, will shoulder dual duties as captain and all-rounder.
As for the bowling department, England are running with a three-man pace unit—Woakes, Carse, and Josh Tongue—with Stokes as the fourth seam option. Shoaib Bashir rounds out the XI as the lone spinner, likely to come into play later in the match as the pitch wears.
England’s 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 Reshuffle Middle Order, Gill at 4
Across the dressing room, India’s build-up has been just as intriguing. At the pre-match presser, vice-captain Rishabh Pant confirmed that Shubman Gill will now bat at No. 4 in Tests—taking over from the spot once owned by Virat Kohli.
Pant himself is set to bat at No. 5, a move that suggests India are backing him not just as a keeper but as a middle-order mainstay. With KL Rahul, Jaiswal, and others in the mix, India’s batting depth looks solid even without a few big names.
Bowling-wise, all eyes will be on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who’ll need to exploit England’s aggressive batting to give India an early edge.
India Squad for the 1st Test:
Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, B Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
Final Word: Leeds Is Ready
Expect fireworks. Both teams are in transition yet fiercely competitive. England are banking on home comforts and Bazball bravado. India, though, come with serious firepower and a point to prove.
The first ball at Headingley will be bowled this Friday. Until then, the tension simmers.
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