A young Indian side under a new captain will be determined to script a compelling tale over the next 45 days as a transitioning India squares off against an equally volatile England in a five-Test series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, beginning in Leeds on Friday.
History offers little comfort to visitors. Only three Indian teams — Ajit Wadekar’s class of 1971, Kapil Dev’s men in 1986, and Rahul Dravid’s spirited side in 2007 — have managed to conquer England in their own backyard over the last nine decades.
Nor does the absence of Virat Kohli, India’s most committed Test cricketer of the past decade, help matters. His retirement leaves a noticeable void in the batting line-up, which now appears a touch lighter on experience.
For 25-year-old Shubman Gill, the newly appointed Test skipper, this series will be nothing short of a baptism by fire. England, under Brendon McCullum’s fearless approach and Ben Stokes’ aggressive leadership, have rewritten the grammar of Test batting — a challenge Gill must be prepared for.
His elevation as India’s 37th Test captain was as much about potential as it was about vision. While his credentials as a batter and leader in red-ball cricket are still evolving, the ‘Prince’ now finds himself at the centre of a high-stakes narrative — with a full plate and much to prove.
