IND vs ENG / England announced a strong playing XI for the first Test against India

IND vs ENG: The much-awaited five-match Test series between India and England is going to start from June 20 at the historic Headingley ground in Leeds. For this match, the English team has announced its playing XI, in which the presence of many important comebacks and new faces has made the match more exciting.

Chris Woakes returns, Brydon Carse makes his domestic debut

The biggest news for England is the return of all-rounder Chris Woakes. Woakes, who joined the Test team for the first time since December 2024, will give both experience and balance. At the same time, fast bowler Brydon Carse has also got a chance to play Tests on home soil for the first time. Carse has played all his five Test matches abroad (Pakistan and New Zealand) so far.

Four players in Tests against India for the first time

The England team in the first Test includes four players who will play Tests against India for the first time — Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Harry Brook and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. This quartet will present a new challenge against the Indian batting.

Confidence of the opening pair and middle order

The responsibility of opening will be on the shoulders of Jack Crowley and Ben Duckett. This pair has recently made a great partnership against Zimbabwe. Ollie Pope will come at number three, while Joe Root, Harry Brook, captain Ben Stokes and young Jamie Smith will strengthen the middle order. The presence of Chris Woakes in the lower order strengthens the depth of the batting.

Challenge in the bowling department

In the absence of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, England will have to hand over the command of fast bowling to Woakes and Cars. Josh Tongue has the ability to bowl sharply with the new ball, while Shoaib Bashir has been given a chance as the main spinner. Joe Root and captain Ben Stokes will assist in bowling.

India also with full preparation

The Indian team has also arrived on this tour with a balanced and young squad. Led by Shubman Gill, the team has a good mix of young and experienced players. The return of vice-captain Rishabh Pant, the fast bowling pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj, and spin options like Jadeja and Kuldeep show India's strength.

England's playing XI (1st Test):

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

India's Test squad (England tour):

Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.

The first match will be in focus

With the start of this Test series, both the teams will come out with new strategy and confidence for the next round of the World Test Championship. While England will want to take advantage of their home pitches, India is eager to present their strong claim on foreign soil.