The long-awaited first Test between England and India kicks off at Headingley tomorrow afternoon. The hosts continue under the aggressive leadership of Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, while India enter a transitional phase without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, led by Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant. Let’s look at the betting preview and prediction for this encounter.
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Betting Preview
England finished fifth in the last WTC cycle, while India were third, but both teams arrive without several modern greats – James Anderson, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli have all stepped away from the format.
Despite the absentees, there’s no shortage of talent. Joe Root returns to his home ground, where Chris Woakes, unbeaten in eight Test innings at Headingley, also leads the bowling. England will stick with Duckett, Crawley, and Pope in the top three, following their strong showing against Zimbabwe.
7.50
England vs India
jasprit bumrah
Player of the match
Odds are subject to change.
Bet Here
India are captained by Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant offering experience in the middle. Rahul hit a century against the England Lions earlier this month, while opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was the standout scorer in their last series. Karun Nair and IPL star Sai Sudharsan are in contention for the No. 3 role.
Jasprit Bumrah leads the Indian attack, supported by Siraj, while spin duties may go to Kuldeep Yadav, who impressed in the last meeting between the sides. With a dry, sun-baked Leeds pitch, India could favour wrist spin over the batting depth of Washington Sundar.
8.50
England vs India
Joe Root
player of the match
Odds are subject to change.
Bet Here
England, meanwhile, are looking to extend their strong home form. They’ve won five of their last six at Headingley, including victories over India, Australia, and Pakistan since 2018, and come into this series off the back of a clean sweep of the West Indies in white-ball cricket.
With both teams in transition, this first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy promises an exciting, unpredictable start to the summer.
Key Statistics
- First-innings average at Headingley: 298 in 84 Tests
- England batting second: 6 wins in last 7 Tests
- Bumrah in England: 37 wickets in 9 Tests; 19 dismissals vs England in India last year
- Joe Root: 1,968 WTC runs, 7 centuries – Top scorer of 2023–25 cycle
Betting Tips
Prediction: England to win at 1.65.
Best Bet: Jasprit Bumrah to be India’s top first innings bowler at 2.15.
Value Bet: Joe Root to be England’s top batter at 3.80.
