Predicting England’s Playing XI for their first Test against India 

Ben Stokes-led England will begin their next cycle of the World Test Championship with a five-match series against India. Leeds will be hosting its first game of the series starting on Friday as the home team looks to put an Indian side which looks experienced under pressure in the opening game of the series. 

England will be without Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, and Mark Wood, who are out injured. This won’t matter to the home team, who, under the coaching and captaincy of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, have done well in the Test format. England also beat Zimbabwe inside three days in the four-day game just before the start of the home season. 

Here is the likely England XI vs India 

Top order  

Indian bowlers will be wary of the threat that the English openers possess with the bat. Zak Crawley is a stylish batter who uses his tall frame to put the pacers under pressure right from the word go. Crawley began the Ashes 2023 series with a boundary in the very first ball of the series. The Baz-Ball has benefited Ben Duckett massively as the left-handed batter has been showing aggressive intent. Duckett was one of the top run-getters when England toured India in early 2024. 

Middle Order 

Ollie Pope has shown the world that he is a very versatile batter, and the new age approach will not slow him down. Pope will be a key player while batting at number three. Yorkshire duo Joe Root and Harry Brook will be the key batters for the home side, with Root in particular having a great record against India in the Test format. Brook will also come hard at the Indian bowlers and look to score runs at a quick pace.

Lower-order 

Skipper Ben Stokes will be a massive player with the bat and also with the ball in hand. Stokes has a decent record against India and will be looking to do well in the coming series. Jamie Smith has done well as a batter and also in his wicket-keeping ever since his debut last year. Chris Woakes will be looked at as one of the most experienced pacers on the side and will also do the job with the bat. 

Tail enders  

The English spin department will be led by Shoaib Bashir, who made his Test debut against India in 2024. Bashir has been taking wickets for fun and has already taken 58 wickets from his 16 Test matches. With James Anderson retired, the onus of the pace bowling will fall on Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue, who can trouble the Indian batters with the extra pace and bounce. 

ENG XI vs IND

Z Crawley, B Duckett, O Pope, J Root, H Brook, B Stokes, J Smith, C Woakes, S Bashir, B Carse, and J Tongue. 

Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.

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