The five-match Test series between India and England will kick off with the first game taking place in Leeds from June 20 to 24. Shubman Gill will make his Test captaincy debut in the series opener. He replaced Rohit Sharma, who retired from Test cricket in May. India will also be without the services of Virat Kohli, who quit red-ball cricket after Rohit.

The visitors will have their task cut out in their absence. India haven't won a Test series in England since 2007. Their previous series win came under Rahul Dravid. Dravid-coached India only played one Test in England in 2022.

India have only won one Test match since Gautam Gambhir's appointment as the head coach and he has a big challenge ahead of him. New Zealand shocked India 3-0 in the home series in 2024.

India kicked off the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy on a winning note in Perth but lost the series 3-1. The Men in Blue did win the 2025 Champions Trophy but India are yet to prove themselves in Test cricket under Gambhir.

Karun Nair is likely to make his comeback in the playing XI in the first Test match. Sai Sudharsan is expected to be given his maiden Test cap. He will bat at number 3 if handed a debut cap.

KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings. Shubman will bat at number 4 and will be followed by vice-captain Rishabh Pant. If included, Karun will bat at number 6.

The toss for the first Test match between India and England will take place at 3:00 PM IST. The first ball will be bowled at 3:30 PM IST. Given the weather conditions, the captain winning the toss might opt to bowl first. The track is likely to assist the pacers more than the spinners.

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