India gears up for England Test series

Sports Desk: As India prepares to embark on a challenging five-Test tour of England starting June 20, the national squad has kicked off its training with high-energy fielding drills and moments of light-hearted camaraderie. A video released by the BCCI showcased the team in high spirits, underlining both the seriousness of preparation and the youthful buzz surrounding the squad.

Fielding coach T Dilip led a series of intense drills focusing on high and low catches, direct hits, and reflex work. In a moment that captured the team’s mood, vice-captain Rishabh Pant came agonizingly close to hitting the stumps with a long throw and reacted with a comical, “Arey yaar,” drawing laughs from teammates.

In another clip, Test captain Shubman Gill lauded his Gujarat Titans teammate Sai Sudharsan with a quick “Catching yaar” after Sudharsan took a sharp grab. Meanwhile, pacer Mohammed Siraj celebrated a successful catch with an animated jump, showcasing the team’s lively energy heading into the marquee series.

The series marks the dawn of a new era for Indian Test cricket, following the retirement of modern legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the format last month. With experience scarce and expectations high, the onus is now on the next generation—led by the 25-year-old Shubman Gill—to rise to the occasion in seaming English conditions.

The tour will feature five matches at iconic venues: Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord’s and The Oval (London), and Old Trafford (Manchester). The series, spanning over two months until August, is seen as a crucial test of character for the young squad.

India's Test Squad vs England

Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, 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.

England Squad for First Test

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

With a young squad hungry to prove itself and a historic rivalry on the line, all eyes are now on Leeds as India’s fresh-faced Test team prepares to script its own legacy.