The historic rivalry between India and England is set to ignite again in the summer of 2025 with a full five-match Test series. As two of the biggest cricketing nations do battle again in the traditional format, the series will combine one of heritage, competitive fire, and new beginnings.
As Shubman Gill leads the Indian Test team for the first time and England shift to a post-Anderson transition, this series is not just about winning, but giving future markers too. Every Test has important points towards the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 cycle, making each session critical.
| Match | Dates | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 1st Test | 20th June – 24th June | Headingley, Leeds | 3:30 PM |
| 2nd Test | 2nd July – 6th July | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 3:30 PM |
| 3rd Test | 10th July – 14th July | Lord’s, London | 3:30 PM |
| 4th Test | 23rd July – 27th July | Old Trafford, Manchester | 3:30 PM |
| 5th Test | 31st July – 4th August | The Oval, London | 3:30 PM |
The five-match series format mimics the tradition of India tours of England in the past and gives fans a long run of red-ball cricket in some of the most revered grounds of the game on our planet.
Venue Analysis
Knowing the pitch and weather conditions in England is a major factor for assessing performances in any series. Each venue has its own characteristics and challenges:
1. Headingley, Leeds
Headingley is a pace and bounce pitch known to have swing commensurate with the conditions, particularly on Day 1. Fast bowlers reign supreme here although batting can seem straightforward from Day 2 if the sun shines, with the risk of early wickets at any time.
2. Edgbaston, Birmingham
Edgbaston usually offers some movement off the surface for the seamers on Day 1, but typically becomes a good batting wicket from Day 2. If a team has enough middle-order stability they tend to perform well at this venue.
3. Lord’s, London
The home of cricket offers a balanced pitch that gives the seamers assistance to a certain point. By the end of a match, the bounce tends to become better. Over the years, a mixture of high scoring innings and stark collapses has been common.
4. Old Trafford, Manchester
Old Trafford offers favorable conditions to fast bowlers when the skies are overcast. The pitch often has seam movement off the pitch and swings in the air. Batters should be disciplined especially in the first innings.
5. Kennington Oval, London
Tradition has indicated that The Oval has often played more as a batting pitch part of which includes good carry through to slips early on and spin taking effect in the final two days. Again, there are many high scoring matches and close finishes at this ground.
🇮🇳 India Test Squad
Captain: Shubman Gill
Vice-Captain & Keeper: Rishabh Pant
Squad: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Sai Sudharsan, Prasidh Krishna.
This new Indian squad combines established players with some young talent. With the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R. Ashwin, established players such as Gill, Pant and Bumrah will have to perform and lead a new India.
🏴 England Test Squad
Captain: Ben Stokes
Keeper: Jamie Smith
Squad: Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Shoaib Bashir, Sam Cook, Brydon Carse, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith.
England are also entering the series with a new batch of bowlers due to the retirement of James Anderson, however they still have strong depth in their batting with Joe root, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook capable of winning matches.
Key Player Battles to Watch
1. Shubman Gill vs Josh Tongue
Gill will be leading the Indian team for the first time as Captain of a Test Series overseas and will have to face the bounce and pace Josh Tongue will produce. This battle could shape the Indian top order.Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah
A meeting of two of the world’s best. Root’s composure and technique will meet Bumrah’s aggression, for even in Test match cricket, there are rarely players as courageous as Bumrah, as he uses unorthodox seam positioning to attack while still being both fast and attacking. This is going to be a brilliant contest.
3. Ben Stokes vs Mohammed Siraj
Both players are aggressive in their own mindsets—Stokes tries to counterattack when batting while Siraj will be using his line and length to contain and take early breaks through wickets with aggression.
4. Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Chris Woakes
A young left-hander against one of England’s carefully-cultivated bowlers in familiar English conditions. If Jaiswal can make it through Woakes’ opening spell, India is going to have some good starts throughout this series.
5. Ollie Pope vs Kuldeep Yadav
Given the weather in London, and the fact that spin will come into play when playing at The Oval and Old Trafford, Pope’s ability to play Kuldeep’s wrist spin impact the outcome the middle-order for England’s resistance.
What this Series means
This series is in all aspects about transition almost more than it is about performance. India will be stepping into a generation both of playing under a new leader, and with a new playing style, following a drawn series against SA but trying to win in new territory. In contrast, England will keep following the modern approach they have drummed into both their players and the press under Stokes and McCullum. You can see some relativity here, with the possibility of a different outcome for both sides but with a consistent, World Test Championship point apparatus in force and naming every session essential to their campaigns whatever that campaign means.
As India hope they can show they can win in SENA conditions (that is, South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) with a young core squad. England have it all to do, as their recent few series have displayed great inconsistency as home dominators of the Test format.
Final thought
The first ball will be bowled at Headingley on the 20th June, and cricket followers across the globe will be waiting with high hopes. This series throws up a range of new forward-thinking associations with a new captain and fresh noises coming from two teams, and cricket in general, with the next generation of cricketers, conditions that aren’t favourable for the home side and simply the best form of cricket on offer.
Kheloexch users can stay updated and enjoy every ball of this high-stakes series with in-depth match insights and live action. So whether you are a devoted observer of classic Test match cricket or someone who is just enjoying this very moment, the India vs England Test Series 2025 is a perfect representation of where the Test format is heading: classic and classic ip dynamic. Don’t miss out—Kheloexch Register now to stay connected with the action.