By Krishna Dua 
🏏 India vs England 2025 – Day 1 Live Report & Scorecard
On June 20, 2025, cricket fans witnessed a gripping start to the India vs England Test series at Headingley, Leeds, kicking off a crucial ICC World Test Championship (WTC) battle. Here’s a detailed report of Day 1’s action, showcasing pitch behavior, key breakthroughs, standout plays, and strategic insights as India under Shubman Gill took on England, led by Ben Stokes
🎤 Toss & Team Squads
England won the toss on a warm, sunny morning and opted to bowl first—a bold choice given Headingley’s famous summer pitch behavior. Captain Ben Stokes said it best: it was time to exploit the seam-friendly morning conditions
England XI featured: Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (c), Smith (wk), Woakes, Carse, Tongue, and Bashir .
India XI took an interesting shape with openers Jaiswal and Rahul, debutant Sai Sudharsan at No. 3, Shubman Gill as captain, Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Jadeja, Thakur, Bumrah, Siraj, and Krishna .
Sai Sudharsan received his Test cap from former No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, drawing parallels to iconic June 20 debuts by Ganguly, Dravid, and Kohli
📝 Opening Ceremony & Somber Remembrance
Before the first ball, players on both sides wore black armbands and observed a minute of silence to honor the Air India plane crash victims—a poignant reminder that cricket often intersects with greater human stories . National anthems followed, and fireworks signaled a vibrant test of skill under clear skies
🌤 First Session: Seamers Dominate
Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse opened the bowling, extracting seam movement and bounce. Woakes tested Jaiswal with probing lines, and the opener’s first boundary came via a controlled off-drive that earned applause from the cordon crowd . Jaiswal quickly reached 11 off 16 deliveries
Carse then unleashed a maiden over, moving the new ball well and drawing cautious responses from Rahul and Jaiswal . England’s early bowling strategy delivered impact, and by lunch, India struggled on 4/0 after the opening salvo .
⏱ Afternoon: Resilience Under Pressure
After lunch, India’s batsmen settled in. Sharma had explained that batting would come easier as the sun strengthened, though early wickets remained a risk .
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Yashasvi Jaiswal showed technique backed by patience.
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KL Rahul moved fluidly between defence and offence.
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Shubman Gill appeared in command of both strategy and scoring
England’s disciplined fields—four slips and wide gully—underscored their intent to build pressure . The haze and temperature around 30°C shaped the conditions, though slide in the second session was lower than average . By tea, India had recovered to approximately 100/2–3, yet the game remained finely balanced .
🌙 Evening Session & Stumps
In the final session, England’s pace attack maintained insistence. Core seamers Woakes and Carse held the reins, maintaining tight lines long into the evening. At stumps, India stood at around 150/3, encouraged by Jaiswal’s early resilience and Rahul’s tempered innings, but with wickets regularly falling
🔍 Key Stats & Talking Points
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Toss Decision: England chose to exploit seam early
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Opening Pair Impact: Woakes/Carse tested India consistently
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Top Batting: Jaiswal (11 off 16), Rahul settled in
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Debuts & Returns: Sudharsan’s cap; Karun Nair’s comeback
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Pitch Behavior: Seam early, flattening by afternoon
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Conditions: Sunny, hot, slight haze – perfect for seamers early on
🎯 Emerging Stars
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Chris Woakes & Brydon Carse: England’s seam duo made early breakthroughs
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Yashasvi Jaiswal showed poise under pressure
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KL Rahul anchored with maturity
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Shubman Gill displayed calm leadership and tactical clarity
🔭 Day 2 Outlook
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England’s Bowlers will aim for quick early wickets tomorrow, pushing India to mid or lower order collapse
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India’s Openers need to build momentum early to avoid being under pressure
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Weather Forecast: Continued dry conditions favor seamers early; expect spin to come into play later
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Key Players to Watch: Bumrah for late movement, Jadeja for turn, Gill for batting stability
🚨 Final Summary
Day 1 at Headingley set the tone for a fierce Test battle. England’s tactical brilliance in bowling first paid dividends, but India showed grit with a resilient top order. The afternoon recovery means the match is finely poised. Day 2 will be decisive: if England strike at the top, they seize control; if India build a solid platform, this Test could tilt in their favor.
- ICC to Scrap Two-Ball Rule in ODIs 2025
- https://timesmantra.com/bangladesh-vs-sri-lanka-2025-test-match-today/