As the 1st Test is all set to start this week, it is drawing all the attention from the cricket fans. According to India Today, chief curator Richard Robinson, he expects India vs England to have a good balance between bat and ball. It’s not a green top, but the fans should expect a good cricket pitch on the first test, said Robinson.
While speaking to RevSportz, Robinson wants the match to go a full 5 days. Fingers crossed!! He further added his wish to witness a 300-run total from whoever bats first in the Test match. Let’s hope for the best.
Leeds Pitch to Favour Bowlers? Curator Stresses on Strong First Innings in IND vs ENG Test
Cricket fans all around the world are excited for the 1st Test of England vs India. What makes it more thrilling is curator Richard Robinson’s expectations for this match.
On 16th June, in an interview with Revsportz, he made remarkable statements for the upcoming Test match between India vs England.
He said, “Not a green-top, but the fans should expect a good cricket pitch in the 1st Test match between India and England that should last a full 5 days.”
As seen in several Twitter posts,
From Kolkata to Leeds — India’s England tour begins in sunshine and silence. A new WTC cycle, the Shubman Gill era, and a journalist’s quiet welcome into a town where history waits patiently. @TrishaGhosal
#INDvsENG https://t.co/kUrTHMDEww
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) June 17, 2025
excitement is building around the match. Robinson, too, expects a thrilling five-day Test between India and England, hoping for a 300-run total from whichever team bats first..
About the Headingley pitch, he said the weather is quite hot, so they’ve kept some moisture in the pitch.
Since the match is still three days away, they’ll watch how the pitch changes over time. Right now, it looks like a “green-top” pitch that might help fast bowlers at the beginning.
Further, he explained, the grass will get trimmed down, and since it has been an arid summer, they are injecting a lot of water into the pitch so that it holds together for 5 days.
Meet Team India: Full Squad for the 1st Test Against England
With only two days remaining before India’s five-Test series against England starts, the Indian team is all set with its final squads.
As reported by Sports NDTV, India’s squad for the Test against England includes:
| Batter | Wicketkeeper | All Rounders | Fast bowlers | Spinners |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain) | Ravindra Jadeja | Jasprit Bumrah | Kuldeep Yadav |
| KL Rahul | Dhruv Jurel | Nitish Reddy | Mohd. Siraj | |
| Sai Sudharsan | Washington Sundar | Prasidh Krishna | ||
| Abhimanyu Easwaran | Shardul Thakur | Akash Deep | ||
| Karun Nair | Arshdeep Singh |
Kevin Pietersen predicted that KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal would open the match with Shubman Gill batting at No. 3 or 4.
England’s Line-Up Revealed: Full Squad for the 1st Test vs India
While announcing the England squad for 1st Test, they dropped big news of the return of their fast-bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton, who has been on the injury list.
Here are the 24 squads of England facing India on 20th June:
| Captain & All-rounder | Batters | Wicket-Keeper | Bowlers |
| Ben Stokes (C) | Harry Brook | Jamie Smith | Brydon Carse |
| Jamie Overton | Zak Crawley | Sam Cook | |
| Chris Woakes | Ben Duckett | Josh Tongue | |
| Jacob Bethell | Ollie Pope (VC) | Shoaib Bashir | |
| Joe Root |
Writers POV
As a passionate cricket fan, I’m really looking forward to the India vs England Test match. With both teams in top form and the pitch expected to offer a fair contest between bat and ball, this could be a five-day classic. No matter the result, I just hope for a great game of cricket. Best of luck, Team India!
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