india vs england 1st test

IND vs ENG Test series | Shubman Gill to bat at No. 4, reveals Rishabh Pant on batting order post-Kohli

Danijones2 hours ago04 mins

India Test captain Shubman Gill during a nets session at Headingley on June 18, 2025 in Leeds, England. | Photo Credit: Getty Images India vice-captain Rishabh Pant on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) confirmed that Shubman Gill will bat at No. 4 in the Test series against England, while he will follow the skipper at the No. 5 slot. The retirement of Virat Kohli had made it mandatory for India to find a new batter at No. 4, and Gill is now going to bat at the pivotal position. “I think there is still discussion going on about who is going to play 3. But 4, 5 are definitely fixed. I think Shubman is going to bat at 4 and I am going to stick to No. 5 as of now, and rest we are going to keep on discussing that,” he said. Pant-Gill relationship Pant also said he maintains a wonderful relationship with Gill on and off the field. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant of India during a nets session at Headingley | Photo Credit: Getty Images “I think me and Shubman have a really good camaraderie off the field. If you’re good friends off the field, it eventually comes on the field as well. That is something I’ve always believed,” he noted. “Me and him, we gel really well together. We keep on having conversations and the kind of comfort zone we have with each other, I think that is really going to be special for us.” Relief to see Anderson-Broad pair retired England too will be without their retired veteran pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Pant said it was a relief to see the legendary pair missing from England line-up but was not ready to underestimate the current bunch. “Definitely, it feels so good when both (Anderson and Broad) are not there. Because coming from the last two tours, they’ve been there for England for so many years and I’ve only come for two tours. But at the same time, they have enough ammunition as an England bowling line-up. “We don’t want to take anyone lightly because our team is also young. They’re still looking to develop themselves. But at the same time, we’ve got to play our cricket and respect the bowlers and opposition where it needs it,” he explained. Published – June 19, 2025 12:51 pm IST

Mukesh Kumar makes cryptic ‘karma’ post days before 1st Test, fans believe it’s a jab at Harshit Rana’s ‘late selection’

Danijones16 hours ago03 mins

Team India’s fast bowler, Mukesh Kumar, posted a cryptic story about ‘karma’ on his official Instagram account on Wednesday, which has triggered speculations on social media. Mukesh was part of the India A squad during their tour of England, where he played in the first multi-day match against England Lions. He registered the best figures among all bowlers for the side, picking three wickets for 92 runs. India’s Mukesh Kumar during a practice session in 2024(PTI) Mukesh didn’t play in the second tour game, and wasn’t part of India’s 18-member squad for the five-Test series. However, on Tuesday, Harshit Rana – also part of India A squad – was included as the 19th member in the Test squad. “Karma bides its time. You will always have to watch out. Karma is unforgiving and always gets payback,” Mukesh wrote on his Instagram story. And fans believe it could be a reaction to Rana’s selection in the Test squad. Here’s how fans reacted: Rana, too, played in only the first game for India A, picking a wicket. The pacer, however, played two matches in India’s previous Test series against Australia Down Under. Rana has also represented India in both white-ball formats. Mukesh, meanwhile, last played for India in July 2024 during the T20I series against Zimbabwe. Mukesh has represented the side in three Tests, picking 7 wickets. He made his debut during India’s away Test series against West Indies, and last played in the longest format during the home series against England last year. Rana’s addition bolsters India’s pace attack in England, which includes premier fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, as well as Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur and Arshdeep Singh, who received a maiden Test call-up. Additionally, Nitish Kumar Reddy also adds to India’s pace-bowling options for the series. The side is missing the services of Mohammed Shami for the series. Kuldeep Yadav, meanwhile, leads the spin bowling attack, which includes Ravindra Jadeja as the all-round option.