The Tendulkar–Anderson Trophy is to be contested as an ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 Test series comprised of five Test matches starting with the first Test at Headingley, Leeds from June 20–24, 2025 and followed by:
• 2nd Test: Edgbaston, Birmingham – July 2–6, 2025
• 3rd Test: Lord’s, London – July 10–14, 2025
• 4th Test: Old Trafford, Manchester – July 23–27, 2025
• 5th Test: The Oval, London – July 31– August 04, 2025
This series is being played in the afternoon in England with created match times of 11 am local (3:30 pm IST). India last won a Test series in England in 2007 and since 1971also won three series in England: 1986, 2007 and 2025.
Shubman Gill: Captaincy & Batting—First Assignment
At 25 years of age, Shubman Gill has become the 37th Test captain for India, and the fifth youngest Test captain overall. He comes into the captaincy with an India squad that has made the transition from the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ashwin, bringing new challenges from very accomplished players into a new era.
Captaincy Style & Expectations
• What Gill offers: Buttler has observed Gill’s style as a mix of Kohli’s passionate approach, combined with Rohit’s more calming influence.
• Gill’s building blocks of success: Gill wants his captaincy legacy to rest on discipline and camaraderie amongst the players and not have the pressure of captaincy link to his batting output.
• Endorsements: Gary Kirsten has used the descriptions and words smart and hardworking; Kapil Dev thinks being a captain can bring a historic captaincy series win to India.
Pressure as a Batsman
Taking Kohli’s spot at No. 4, Gill has the double-edged pressure of leading at the front and taking the place of a legend. His average overseas in Tests of 27.5 is notably lower than his home average, prompting performance concerns. Former cricketer Dinesh Karthik warns Gill might not have the full understanding of how big this position is. England will make Gill a primary target to try to unsettle India early, as Nick Knight has indicated.
Team Preparations and latest squad updates
– New wave: Led by Gill, India is a young but able 11; Rishabh Pant serving as Vice-captain.
– Thought-process for XI: Challenges are to replace Kohli at No. 3 (KL Rahul and Jaisawal being considered) and the No. 1 or No. 2 spinners. The Bathwick XI for Headingley, currently is Jaisawal, Rahul, Karun Nair, Gill, Pant, Jadeja, Bumrah, Siraj, Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
– Training sessions: Net sessions in Leeds express Gill’s enthusiasm; KL Rahul speaks of excitement also getting acclimatized to the English conditions.
– Consistent squad: Ben Stokes is going to lead a squad with Pope at number 3, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith; bowling line-up is Overton, Carse, and Tongue.
– Targeted bowling attack: A variety of seamers and spin specialists will be trying out their line-up on India’s batsmen.
Looking Back to the last Touring Party (2021–22)
India’s last tour to England (2021, then COVID pushed it into 2022) resulted in an ineffectual 2–2 draw. India was 2–1 up and then faltered in the last Test match at Edgbaston. The current series provides India with a chance to turn that disappointment into a series win and history.
Expert Voices: Who has the upper hand?
• Nasser Hussain (former England captain): Predicts England to win ultimately in a scoreline of 3–1, making the point of home advantage and that India has lost some experience with Jadeja/ Ashwin/ Pujara/ Kohli etc. retiring or dropping out of a series.
• Graeme Swann: Prefers England, sees this as a warm-up for the Ashes conditions in England.
• Dale Steyn: Predicts a close 3–2 for England.
• Fantasy/Rankings: Models put England with 55% chance of winning slight home-edge advantage.
• Encouraging for India: Gary Kirsten and Kapil Dev both expressed underlying belief in Gill and the youngest squad; momentum from recent successes in white-ball may also be in India’s favour.
Conclusion: naerly-all-squawking-crow-caring-content-indigenous-england-edge-comfortably, but India’s new leadership, bowling depth, and hunger for success makes this series anyone’s to claim.
Player Spotlight: Shubman Gill
Captain’s Profile
• Leading in a period of adjustment.
• Gill has a nice combination of calm and passion, places emphasis on team morale & a friendly environment.
Batting Role
• With No. 4 being assigned to him, it was a glossy position occupied previously by Kohli and Tendulkar.
• He will require effective, disciplined batting throughout the conditions – one of his issues has been lower average abroad, especially in the early games.
• He will need to front up to England’s seam, especially at the start.
You can expect Gill’s captaincy to be based on good example: dotting the I’s, directing the field, nurturing partnerships, and anchoring the batting line-up.
Cricketing Grounds: Schedule and Conditions
• Headingley, Leeds: June 20–24. Known for seam movement and offer spin on the surface late; likely fine weather early, wet weather may be around later, possible rain delays.
• Edgbaston, Birmingham: July 2–6. Pitch is lively that is fair for fast bowlers, batter and ball balance.
• Lord’s, London: July 10–14. A pace friendly pitch, swing early; could turn sometime on the last days as spinners.
• Old Trafford, Manchester: July 23–27. A swing paradise, a true test for seamers.
• The Oval, London: July 31– August 04. Batters for the early days, wearing for spinners.
Final Thoughts: What to Look For
What transpires from June 20 may change the whole screenplay of Indian Test cricket. Gill’s leadership will see a robust test, while England will be looking to re-establish supremacy at home. With India searching for their first series win in England in nearly two decades, fans can expect a blend of youth, experience and rivalry.
Some of the story lines to follow:
• Gill v England seamers—how he holds up to the early swing and manages his stewardship.
• India’s top order without Kohli/Rohit—whether Jaiswal, Rahul, Gill and the others can deliver in this space.
• Depth of bowling—whether Bumrah, Siraj, Jadeja outperform the England attack when it matters!
You can also read our latest blog on Australia vs South Africa WTC Final.
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