IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill's India begin new Test era with Sai Sudharsan debut, Karun Nair comeback; England bowl first at Headingley

NEW DELHI: A new era in Indian Test cricket began under captain Shubman Gill on Friday as India were sent in to bat first after England captain Ben Stokes won the toss in the opening Test of the five-match Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy series at Headingley.Live Score: India vs England, 1st Test Day 1India handed a much-anticipated Test debut to Sai Sudharsan, while Karun Nair returned to the playing XI after more than eight years, marking two major transitions in India's middle-order. Gill confirmed at the toss that Sudharsan would slot in at No. 3, with Nair expected to bat at No. 6.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Would’ve bowled first as well. Might be a bit tough in the first session but it should get better for batting,” said Gill.“Preparation has been amazing, we played a practice game in Beckenham. Lads are feeling great. Sai makes his debut, Karun comes in. Sai will bat at three.”

The match also marks India’s first Test outing since the retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin, signalling a fresh chapter in India’s red-ball journey.Stokes said the decision to bowl first was influenced by typical early English conditions.

“Headingley is a very good cricket wicket. We want to try and use the early conditions,” he said. “Been a long time coming, but we’re ready. Some lads have played county cricket and had a good lead-up.”

India vs England 1st Test Playing XIs

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh KrishnaEngland: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (w), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir