India are set to take on England in the first Test at Headingley in Leeds. The series marks the beginning of a new chapter for the visitors following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. With a young batting line-up, the Indian cricket team enters the contest looking to rebuild in the longest format.
Jaffer backed either Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu Easwaran to play at the No. 3 position. With Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket, Jaffer picked newly-appointed captain Shubman Gill as the ideal candidate to take over the crucial No. 4 slot.
Nitish Kumar Reddy Left Out of India Playing XI
Wasim Jaffer named Ravindra Jadeja as his spin-bowling all-rounder. Jaffer mentioned that pace-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur or a second spinner in Kuldeep Yadav will be picked for the crucial No. 8 spot. Nitish Kumar Reddy failed to make it into the playing XI for the series opener.
Shardul Thakur has been recalled to the Test squad after being dropped following the 2023 South Africa tour. Thakur played in three Tests during the 2021/22 tour of England and the 2023 WTC final. He averages 24.71 with the bat and 37.10 with the ball in four matches in England.
Wasim Jaffer’s Playing XI for First Test Against England
Wasim Jaffer's XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran/Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur/Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) June 18, 2025
The final Test, held in Birmingham in July 2022, was played almost a year after the fourth match due to a COVID-19-related delay and was won by the hosts.
Also read: Who forced Virat Kohli to retire? India's bowling coach exposes behind the scenes
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