Follow UsIt’s been a long time since India walked into a Test series with such low expectations. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having retired from Test cricket, India are set to begin the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle under a new captain - Shubman Gill. And it doesn’t get any tougher than starting your tenure with a five-match Test series in England.
Winning a Test series in England has always been a huge challenge for India, even more so for a side in transition. Furthermore, India have lost six of their last eight Tests, winning just one. It’s no surprise that very few believe this team can succeed in English conditions.
India had both Rohit and Kohli in the line-up against New Zealand and Australia, but we all know what happened there. Rohit struggled massively in his last eight Tests, while Kohli wasn’t at his best in red-ball cricket since 2020. Now, apart from Jasprit Bumrah, India don’t have a proven superstar in the format.
But maybe that’s a good thing. Without the weight of big names, the focus will finally shift to how the team performs as a unit. This will give the younger players a comfortable environment to step up and cement their spots in the Test side. And who knows - they might just surprise everyone.
The first Test begins on June 20 (Friday) at Headingley, and here’s a look at how India can finally win a Test series in England after 17 years - and what might stop them from doing it.
Indian openers need to come good
India won two Tests when they last toured England in 2021–22, and in both those encounters, openers Rohit and KL Rahul made massive contributions with the bat. The two added 126 runs at Lord’s and followed it up with an 83-run stand at The Oval. While Rahul slammed a century at Lord’s, Rohit did the same at The Oval. On both occasions, India won by substantial margins.
Even in the only Test India won during their last tour of Australia, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rahul put on 201 runs for the opening wicket, with the former smashing 161. In the remaining four Tests, Indian openers didn’t have a single 50-plus partnership, and unsurprisingly, they failed to win a single match. Therefore, India’s chances in England will largely depend on their openers firing.
Jaiswal has been India’s best batter since making his debut in July 2023, but doesn’t have much experience playing red-ball cricket in England. Meanwhile, Rahul has batted in multiple positions over the last few years, but India would need him right at the top. The right-hander from Karnataka has scored four centuries and averages 42 in 11 red-ball games in England, mostly while opening the batting.
India will have a couple of new men in the middle order, and with Gill and Rishabh Pant not being in great Test form, Jaiswal and Rahul will have to deliver at the top. If that doesn’t happen, the visitors will likely be in big trouble.
Bumrah can’t be fighting alone again
In the last two series against New Zealand and Australia, Bumrah picked up 35 wickets at an average of 15.6 and a strike rate of 33, while the other five Indian seamers managed 44 wickets at an average of almost 36. That’s a difference of more than 20, and it’s ridiculous, even when compared to someone of Bumrah’s calibre.
Apart from Bumrah, who has been advised to play only three of the five Tests to manage his workload, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, Shardul Thakur, and Nitish Kumar Reddy are the other six seamers in the Indian squad for the tour of England. They will have to step up and ensure Bumrah is not the only one putting pressure on English batters, who will look to play with positive intent.
With 46 wickets in 10 games at an average of 26, Siraj has a good first-class record in England, and the conditions there will suit his style of bowling. However, Arshdeep, Shardul, and Reddy average over 40 in the limited number of first-class games they’ve played in England. Meanwhile, Akash Deep and Prasidh are yet to play an official red-ball game there.
Due to the underperformance of other pacers against New Zealand and Australia, former captain Rohit had to overbowl Bumrah, which eventually led to a back injury. India wouldn’t want something similar to happen in England. The other fast bowlers must bring their ‘A’ game and contribute, whether or not Bumrah is playing. If they manage that and help manage Bumrah’s workload effectively, who knows the ace pacer might even play an extra game.
India must find a way to stop Root
With 2846 runs at an average of 58.08, including 11 fifties and 10 centuries, no batter in the history of Test cricket has scored more runs against India than Joe Root. That average goes up to 74.95 when he plays at home in England. The right-hander has featured in seven Test series against India, and even in his worst series, Root averaged more than 35.
These are staggering numbers, and he will once again be India’s biggest roadblock in the upcoming series. Root has been dismissed by Bumrah nine times and averages 33 against him, which is still quite respectable considering Bumrah’s stature.
Root is England’s best batter, and if he gets going again, it will allow the others to bat freely, and that will be bad news for India.
When Pant is at his best, India are at their best
Rishabh Pant’s ineffectiveness with the bat was one of the key reasons India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The wicketkeeper-batter went past 20 in seven out of nine innings but only once managed to score a fifty. Jaiswal and Pant are India’s most impactful batters, and their form could very well determine the outcome of the series.
Pant has featured in nine Tests in England and scored 556 runs at an average of 32.71, lower than his average in India, Australia, Bangladesh, and South Africa. Different format, but the 27-year-old also struggled in IPL 2025, averaging just 24.45. However, he ended the season with an unbeaten 118 against RCB, which should give him and the management some confidence.
What’s more, Ollie Robinson - a bowler who previously troubled Pant - is not part of this series, and that could make things a bit easier. Pant is now an experienced campaigner, and his contribution with the bat will be vital for India in the middle-order.
England’s lower order must be kept in check
England’s lower-order batters (Nos. 8–11) have the best average in home Tests since 2024, scoring 21.6 runs per wicket. That translates to more than 60 runs for the last three wickets - something that has cost India in the past, especially in away Tests. Chris Woakes averages 33.5 in this period, while the likes of Brydon Carse and Jamie Overton are also capable batters.
Even Down Under, Indian bowlers allowed Australian tailenders to average 21.3, which proved costly. That average remains over 21 in India’s last two tours of England as well, and once again, the English lower order could pose a significant challenge to India.