Can England get revenge in the India Test series? 

Cricket summer is in full swing and England’s Test side gets their five-match Test series underway against India this week. Brendon McCullum’s side are looking to fare better on home soil, having been thumped 4-1 in the reverse series in India last year. 

India claimed the Anthony de Mello Trophy when England visited for a five-match series last winter. And now they’re on a mission to claim the newly renamed Tendulkar-Anderson trophy as they compete at Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford and The Oval over the next few weeks. 

The last series on English soil between the pair back in 2021/22 ended in a draw. Meanwhile, England came out on top in the previous one, winning 4-1 in 2018. England will have one eye on later in the year as they head to Australia for this year’s Ashes. 

Ben Stokes and co. are set to start their five-match series down under in November, with the final Test taking place next January. Australia are the current holders after retaining the famous urn when the 2023 series ended in a draw. England came desperately close to coming out on top and may well have triumphed had the weather been on their side. 

The upcoming series against India will go a long way in demonstrating how ready England are for The Ashes. A strong showing will breed huge confidence, while another drubbing will set the alarm bells ringing. 

When are the Test matches? 

First Test – Headingley: Friday 20th June to Tuesday 24th June 

Second Test – Edgbaston: Wednesday 2nd July to Sunday 6th July 

Third Test – Lord’s: Thursday 10th July to Monday 14th July 

Fourth Test – Old Trafford: Wednesday 23rd July to Sunday 27th July 

Fifth Test – The Oval: Thursday 31st July to Monday 4th August 

Who are the key players? 

Stokes continues as captain and he’s named a strong squad for the first Test. His side is packed full of familiar faces, including Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Chris Woakes. However, England will be without Gus Atkinson and Joffra Archer, although the injured pair may be fit enough to return later in the series. 

Ollie Pope is included despite suggestions he may be dropped. Stokes has publicly backed the Surrey batsman, who remains England’s vice-captain. Meanwhile, due to a string of bowling injuries, Jamie Overton returns for the first time in three years. Jacob Bethell is also back in the fold after missing the one-off Test win over Zimbabwe. 

India have been one of the best Test sides on the planet for many years. And while that still may be the case, they’re likely to be far less intimidating following the retirement of legendary player Virat Kohli. They’ve also lost Rohit Sharam from Test duty, meaning the rest of their players will need to step up. 

Shubman Gil has stepped up as captain and he’s brought Karun Nair back into the fold. The 33-year-old hasn’t played a Test match since 2017 but he’s been rewarded for a strong domestic season. 

India will be hoping Jasprit Bumrah can remain fit, although it’s unlikely he’ll be able to feature in all five Tests. Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur, Sai Sudarshan and Arshdeep Singh have also all been included. 

England squad 

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

India squad 

Shubman Gill (C), Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Nitish Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd. Siraj, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav 

Watch England v India in style 

If you fancy watching England’s Test series against India from the best seats in the house, we’ve got you covered. Here at Engage, we’re offering hospitality packages at all five matches of the Test series. 

Join us at Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford or The Oval to make the most of our exclusive facilities. With mouth-watering food, complimentary drinks packages and the best views of the cricket action, there really is something for everyone. 

Enquire today to reserve your place. 

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