New Era, Old Rivalry: India and England Clash in 2025 Test Series

The cricketing world turns its gaze to England as the much-anticipated five-match Test series between England and India, dubbed the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, gets underway from June 20, 2025. This series not only rekindles one of Test cricket's most compelling rivalries but also marks the beginning of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both nations, adding an extra layer of strategic importance to every ball bowled and run scored.

The series opener is at Headingley, Leeds, followed by Tests at Edgbaston, Lord's, Old Trafford, and finally, The Oval, concluding on August 4. Each venue promises a unique challenge, from Headingley's reputation for seam movement to Lord's historic charm and The Oval's traditionally good batting surfaces.

Shubman Gill: The New Test Captain

This tour signifies a new chapter for the Indian Test team, with Shubman Gill taking the reins as captain after the retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Rishabh Pant has been named vice-captain, and the squad sees the return of Karun Nair, alongside exciting young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, who have shown immense promise in recent times. KL Rahul is the most experienced player in the batting line-up, who was the 3rd Leading run scorer for the Indian Team in the 2021/22 England Tour. In the Last England Tour, KL Rahul scored 315 runs, including a century and a half-century. While Rishabh Pant scored 349 runs, with 1 century and 2 half-centuries.

The bowling attack will be spearheaded by the ever-reliable Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, with support from Prasidh Krishna and others. The Indian Team would like to win the upcoming cricket series against England after 17 years. Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav are the spin options for the team. Jadeja and Sundar can also bat at the lower middle order. For the fast Bowling all-rounder, the Team management will have to pick between Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, which will also be the 4th seaming option.

Will Bazball works against Bumrah & Co.

England, under the aggressive leadership of Ben Stokes and the "Bazball" philosophy, will be looking to assert their dominance at home. Their batting unit boasts seasoned campaigners like Joe Root, who is on the verge of breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record for most runs in India-England Tests played in England, alongside dynamic players like Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, vice-captain Harry Brook, and skipper Ben Stokes. At 7, Wicket-keeper batsman Jamie Smith will bat. It will be fascinating to watch, as against Jasprit Bumrah & Co., will England play with their Bazball approach? Against Bumrah, it will never be easy to play orthodox shots continuously. In the Last England vs India series, Bumrah was the leading wicket-taker, with 23 wickets. Mohammed Siraj also contributed with 18 wickets.

In the bowling department, England has Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Ben Stokes. While Shoaib Bashir is the sole spinner in the English bowling line-up. Following Stuart Broad and James Anderson, England's bowling lineup is undergoing a period of transition as well.

Last Title triumph under Dravid's leadership in 2007

Historically, the rivalry has seen England hold a slight edge in overall Test matches, winning 51 of the 136 encounters compared to India's 35, with 50 draws. However, India has shown significant improvement in recent years, especially at home, and the last series in England in 2021-22 ended in a 2-2 draw, showcasing India's growing competitiveness away from their familiar conditions. Yet, winning a Test series in England remains a formidable challenge for India, a feat they haven't achieved since 2007.

The stakes are incredibly high as this series contributes to the new WTC 2025-27 cycle. Both teams will be desperate to start strongly, accumulating crucial points towards a potential final berth. India finished third in the last WTC cycle, while England ended fifth, making this series a critical early indicator of their aspirations for the upcoming two years.

The series is poised to be a fascinating battle of contrasting styles and evolving teams. India's new-look side, blending youth with experience, will face the stern test of English conditions and England's assertive approach. The individual battles – whether it's Jasprit Bumrah vs. Joe Root or the young Indian batters against England's experienced pace attack – will undoubtedly captivate fans. With the added weight of WTC points, every session promises to be a thrilling spectacle, reaffirming the enduring appeal of Test cricket between two of the game's giants.

India's squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.

England’s Squad: Ben Stokes (c), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, and Chris Woakes.