England vs India: Score and latest updates from first Test at Headingley

Latest updates
Kieran Crichard. Rob Bagchi live updates
20 June 2025 10:06am
10:06AM
Changing of the guard
India are on these shores without Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravi Ashwin but the team that has come is still full of superb talent; Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill amongst others. A little strange that we will see an India side without Kohli, Ashwin and Sharma.
10:04AM
'Sticking with Pope could hurt England's Ashes chances'
Picking Ollie Pope over Jacob Bethell to bat at No 3 against India is the fair call but that does not make it the right one.
There is a difference between the two and it threatens to haunt England as they stand on the cusp of a run of 10 Test matches that Rob Key, the director of cricket, admitted this week would be used to 'define this era'.
Ollie Pope scored 171 in his last innings when Bethell missed the Zimbabwe Test to play in the Indian Premier League, doing everything he could to keep his place when it looked as though a new kid had come along and taken to No 3 like a natural.
10:00AM
Team Telegraph descending on Headingley!
Greetings from Headingley. It's a scorcher here. Half of team Telegraph just walked in from the city centre, and have got a bit of a bead on (apologies for the over-share). A nice gift when we arrived at the press box, though, as Yorkshire have given every member of the media this lovely loaf cake from Bettys in Harrogate. We are easily bought...
It's muggy this morning. There's a thin layer of cloud overhead which I imagine will burn off. All the signs would suggest it's a batting day (look up not down etc), but I quite fancy England will want to chase. India might be thinking the same way, given the Bumrah factor.
9:59AM
England vs India series predictions
England 3 India 2
To win two Tests in England for an India side rebuilding their batting order would be a strong result for them, when you think they have not won a series in England since 2007.
England will win the series in the fourth Test, and lose at the Oval, therefore continuing the two steps forward, one step back hokey cokey that has become their way in the Bazball era.
Which one of our writers has this as his prediction for the series? You can find out right here with all the predictions from our experts.
9:55AM
Team already announced
As is customary for this England regime, they have already announced their team in advance of the first day of the Test:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (vice-captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
One of the biggest calls was at number three and whether it was Ollie Pope or Jacob Bethell. Pope has been given the nod and Stokes staunchly defended that call ahead of the game. In the seam attack England are missing a number of fast bowlers including Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson but Chris Woakes has a fine record in England and Brydon Carse made a very impressive start to life in Test cricket over the winter in Pakistan and New Zealand.
9:45AM
First of two huge series commences
Ben Stokes has promised England will temper their much-discussed, divisive Bazball style as they focus purely on winning across 10 legacy-defining Tests against India and Australia. The first of five Tests against India begins at Headingley today, before England travel to Australia for a hotly-anticipated crack at winning the Ashes for the first time since 2015.
Stokes has been captain for three years alongside coach Brendon McCullum, and has revolutionised the way England play Test cricket, prioritising an attacking style of play and largely enjoying good results. However they failed to win back the Ashes in 2023 (drawing 2-2 with Australia), then were well beaten (4-1) by India last year, making these two series crucial to an exciting era's legacy.
Stokes has spoken before about trying to take the result out of his thinking and prioritising entertainment, but now says that if England are to be seen as anything more than a 'good' team, they must respond better to pressure situations and fighter harder. Last year, they lost two matches by staggering margins of 434 runs (in Rajkot) and 323 runs (in Wellington).
Stokes said England's players were 'fizzing' to get going after a period of reflection over their style of play, and called on them to 'be smarter'.
'We still want to be known as a team who play an exciting style of cricket,' Stokes said. '[It's] not that we never wanted to win every game that we played, but it's changing what we say and how we say it. We want to be playing exciting games of cricket because we know that's what brings the best out of individuals and us as a team. But it's about winning.
'We have a team identity about how we want to go out there and play the game. We've obviously had a lot of time to speak about what we want to do as a team and where we want to take ourselves to. We've had time to talk as a group, identify areas where we know that we are incredibly strong, but also identify areas that we think we need to get better at.
'One of those areas was adapting better when our backs are against the wall. When those moments come in the series that they no doubt will, it's identifying them a lot quicker and just gritting your teeth and really asking what is it that we need to do in this given moment to wrestle the momentum back if we find ourselves behind.
'We know that when we are on top of teams we are very, very good and where we maybe have let ourselves down in the past over the last three years is when we have been behind the game that we've not given ourselves the best chance of wresting ourselves back into the game. That's an area that we have looked at and know that we need to get better at if we want to end up being where we want to end up being as a team.
'If [you] look at some of the victories that we've had, they have been in a manner of complete dominance of the game throughout. But when we have lost, we probably look back on those moments in games. 'Could we have been a lot better at slowing everything down and understanding where we are in the position of the game to then allow us to play in that natural way that we like to go about things?'
'I don't think it's arrogant or an understatement to say that we've been good over the last three years but we definitely know that we can improve. So those conversations away from this type of stuff and together in a room as a group are just as valuable as sometimes training in the nets and working harder.'
Stokes said that Brydon Carse would share the new ball with Chris Woakes, and added that the decision to pick Ollie Pope over the young pretender Jacob Bethell at No 3 was a simple one. Vice-captain Pope made 171 in England's only Test so far this year, against Zimbabwe while Bethell was at the Indian Premier League. Stokes said it would have been 'remarkable' to drop Pope after that innings.
The two teams will compete for the newly-named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, named in honour of the great England bowler James Anderson and Test cricket's leading run-scorer, Sachin Tendulkar.
Play at Headingley gets going at 11am BST.

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Update: Date: 15:09 BST Title: Get Involved Content: #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply) This India team is not just super talented, but so entertaining. I've been so looking forward to Rishabh Pant playing. My favourite overseas player. Chris Vincent Sutton in Ashfield Update: Date: 45 overs Title: Ind 188-2 Content: Superb ball from Brydon Carse to beat Shubman Gill on the inside edge. There's an appeal for caught behind but it flicked the top of the front pad rather than the bat and England don't review. Still, the first time Gill has looked uncomfortable since very early in his innings so that's something I suppose... Update: Date: 15:06 BST Title: Post Content: Cheteshwar PujaraIndia batter on BBC Test Match Special If you are Ben Stokes, you are getting a little bit worried at this point. The ball will not swing a lot now, it will only get softer and there are runs on the board. Update: Date: 44.1 overs Title: Ind 186-2 Content: Brydon Carse returns and, with the field set for some stuff, tries to bluff Gill with a full ball to start. No good. Gill pushes it through the vacant mid-on region and gets back for three. Update: Date: 15:04 BST Title: Get Involved Content: #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply) Not just a debate over the better batsman but Bethell playing along with Root gives you the spin option and allows an extra pace bowler in the lineup. Not that they were ever going to drop Bashir or Pope, but this seam attack just doesn't look potent enough. Norm, Gloucester Update: Date: 44 overs Title: Ind 183-2 Content: Good over from Shoaib Bashir, keeping Jaiswal tied down despite the left-hander showing clear signs he wants to get after him. He skipped down at one stage but Bashir spotted him coming and dragged his length back. Good battle in that over. Update: Date: 43 overs Title: Ind 183-2 Content: India are going along very nicely here. They could hardly have hoped for a better first session and a half after being asked to bat first at Headingley. Both Jaiswal and Gill are looking very impressive at the crease. An inexperienced England attack has work to do. Update: Date: 14:58 BST Title: Post Content: Cheteshwar PujaraIndia batter on BBC Test Match Special Gill has batted really well today. He was in complete control from the moment he walked in. He has worked at timing the ball rather than hitting it really hard and it looks like number four suits him well. Update: Date: 42.2 overs Title: 50 for Shubman Gill Content: Ind 181-2 Fifty for Shubman Gill in his first match as captain! The India right-hander pulls the ball past Ben Stokes at mid-wicket to bring up his eighth Test half-century from 56 balls. That's his quickest in Test cricket. Update: Date: 42 overs Title: Ind 177-2 Content: Nicely bowled from Shoaib Bashir, enticing the drive from Shubman Gill and finding a thick outside edge. The India captain won't be too concerned, though, as the ball runs away from Josh Tongue and away for four. Update: Date: 14:54 BST Title: Post Content: Alison MitchellTest Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra Yashasvi Jaiswal took his opportunity. He found a different way of dealing with the short ball from Tongue. Update: Date: 41 overs Title: Ind 172-2 Content: This video can not be played 'It's gone aerial!' - Jaiswal hits Tongue for six There's a bit of excitement as a bouncer from Josh Tongue whistles past Yashasvi Jaiswal down the leg side but very close to the gloves. Ollie Pope at short leg was interested and Ben Stokes had both arms in the air but, after a brief chat, England decide against a review. More well-directed bouncers follow from Tongue and Jaiswal doesn't look entirely comfortable... but when the England quick offers a short, wide one, the India opener flays it away over the off side for six! Update: Date: 14:50 BST Title: Post Content: Cheteshwar PujaraIndia batter on BBC Test Match Special Bashir is trying to bowl quicker through the air. He is worried about Yashasvi Jaiswal taking him on. His second ball was slower and had more turn, so if he does that often he may get something out of this pitch. Update: Date: 40 overs Title: Ind 165-2 Content: Oof. Bit early for that I think, Euan, but it's certainly not gone as England would have hoped so far today. Steady enough start from Bashir after that first-ball boundary. Just two singles from the next five balls. Update: Date: 14:47 BST Title: Get Involved Content: #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply) Is anyone else wondering if Stokes has had his Ponting (2005, Edgbaston) or Hussain (2002, The Gabba) moment this morning? Euan, Newcastle Update: Date: 39.1 overs Title: Ind 163-2 Content: Time for some spin as Shoaib Bashir comes into the attack for the first time in the match. His first ball isn't that short but Yashasvi Jaiswal is still able to go back and cut it away nicely for four. Update: Date: 14:45 BST Title: Post Content: Cheteshwar PujaraIndia batter on BBC Test Match Special Jaiswal has really settled down into his innings. If you have a good opening partnership it puts pressure on the opposition team. England bowlers haven't been able to get the right length regularly enough and that is the reason they have struggled. They need to re-group after this drinks break. Update: Date: 14:45 BST Title: Post Content: Shubman Gill has also looked in very good touch after a nervy start in which he nearly ran himself out. However, the India skipper did just need a bit of treatment from the physio in that drinks break. He seemed to be have his back stretched out. Could be something and nothing but we'll keep an eye on that. This video can not be played 'You won't see two better shots than that' - Gill hits Woakes for back-to-back fours Update: Date: 14:43 BST Title: Post Content: Plenty for England to ponder. Not least, how to get rid of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has batted very nicely to bring up his 11th Test fifty this afternoon in Leeds... This video can not be played Jaiswal makes 'meaningful contribution' to India run total with half-century Update: Date: 39 overs Title: Drinks - Ind 159-2 Content: Jaiswal 67, Gill 40 Yep, the field has spread. No slips but a gully and a number of fielders out in the deep. Josh Tongue does indeed bang the ball in short throughout the over but Jaiswal isn't taking it on just yet. Time for drinks and a chance for England to regroup after a very good hour for India after lunch.