- By Namrata Vijay
- Thu, 19 Jun 2025 10:32 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs ENG: India will lock horns with England for a five-match Test series, which will begin on Friday at the Headingley cricket ground. Both the teams had arrived at the stadium earlier this week and began preparing for the series opener. The Men in Blue last visited England for a five-match Test series way back in 2021-22. That series ended in a 2-2 tie post a high-octane clash between two formidable sides.
The third Test match between these two teams was held at Headingley. Before this match, the scorecard of the series was 1-0 as the Virat Kohli-led side had won one match. India skipper Virat Kohli had won the toss and chose to bat first.
But this decision didn't work in their favor as England's fast bowlers James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Sam Curran, and Craig Overton rattled India's batting lineup and bundled them out for a below-par target of 78 runs during the first innings. Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were the only batters who could score in double digits.
England skipper Joe Root led the team from the front as he scored a match-winning hundred and helped the hosts post a mammoth target of 432 runs during the first innings and also had a huge lead of 354 runs. Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, and Dawid Malan made significant contributions with the bat. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were the pick among the Indian bowlers.
India's veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara then helped the visitors bounce back by scoring a gritty knock of 91 runs off 189 balls, whereas Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli too made significant contributions with the bat during the third innings. But their efforts went in vain as they were skittled out for 278 runs and thus ended up losing the match by an innings and 76 runs.
Fast bowler Ollie Robinson took a five-for. He also won the Player of the Match award for taking seven wickets in the match and helped the hosts win the match comprehensively.
A look at Team India's overall Test record against England in Headingley
The Men in Blue have featured in seven Test matches at this venue till now and have won just two matches. They had lost four matches while one ended in a tie way back in 1979. The Shubman Gill-led side will aim to win the third match in the upcoming series as they have undergone a transition after players like Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from the longest format.