The much-awaited five-match Test series between India and England is set to begin on June 20. The first Test will be played at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds. This series marks the beginning of India’s campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle and also opens a new chapter in India’s Test history.
With senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having retired from Test cricket, Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new captain of the Indian team. Under Gill’s leadership, the squad looks youthful and relatively inexperienced in English conditions. As a result, this tour will be a significant challenge for the team.
Let’s take a look at the pitch report and stats for the India vs England 1st Test at Headingley.
IND vs ENG Pitch Report – Headingley, Leeds
Pitch curator Robinson has stated that he hopes the match lasts for the full five days and doesn’t end in just three days like some past Tests, such as the one between India and Australia in the previous WTC cycle. Despite Headingley’s reputation for seam and bounce, Robinson expects the team batting first to post a score of around 300 runs. He also mentioned that the weather is likely to be warm, which may favour the batters. However, the pitch was reportedly green and fresh a couple of days before the Test match.
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Headingley, Leeds – Test Match Records
- Total Matches Played: 81
- Won by Home Team: 37 (45.68%)
- Won by Touring Team: 25 (30.86%)
- Won by Neutral Side: 1 (1.23%)
- Matches Won Batting First: 29 (35.80%)
- Matches Won Batting Second: 34 (41.98%)
- Matches Won After Winning Toss: 31 (38.27%)
- Matches Won After Losing Toss: 32 (39.51%)
- Drawn Matches: 18 (22.22%)
- Highest Team Score: 653/4
- Lowest Team Score: 61
- Highest Successful Run Chase: 404/3
- Average First Innings Score: 304
India vs England – Head-to-Head in Test Cricket
- Total Tests Played: 136
- India Wins: 35
- England Wins: 51
- Draws: 50
When it comes to matches played in England, India has had a tough time historically, winning only 9 out of 67 Tests on English soil.