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India.com
8 hours ago
- Climate
- India.com
India vs England 2025 1st Test, Leeds Weather forecast: Overcast skies and showers could favour bowlers at Headingley
Rain could hamper proceedings at Headingley in the 1st Test(X) New Delhi: With Shubman Gill set to lead India in his first Test as a captain, the weather might end up being a significant factor that will dictate the way this new era begins. The first Test of the five-match series between India and England begins on Friday in Leeds, however the weather forecast indicates partly cloudy skies and chances of rain all through the weekend, which can play havoc on the progress of the match. According to AccuWeather, on the 2nd and 3rd days, there is a possibility of receiving some showers in the afternoons, and on the 4th day the sky will probably open in the evening with light rain. Even though Day 1 and Day 5 should be predominantly dry, the continuous cloud cover and humidity in the air are likely to facilitate pace bowlers and test the technique and focus of batters. Interestingly, day 1 could present a sunny streak to Leeds, but with very little interference of clouds. Under these circumstances, India might be lured to field four seamers, which is very appropriate given the weather conditions. It may all boil down to whether Ravindra Jadeja has utility and batting depth, whether Kuldeep Yadav would add a threat with his wrist-spin, and whether Washington Sundar is of dual value with the bat and the ball. Overhead and surface conditions may be the terms to call rather than pre-series planning. A number of Indian players will walk into the series with confidence owing to their recent stints in counties. Shubman Gill played a memorable inning in his stint with Glamorgan in 2022, in which he scored 244 runs in only four innings at an average of 61.00, including a classy 119. Probable middle order mainstay Karun Nair too had a fantastic stint with Northamptonshire, scoring 736 runs in 14innings at an analusys of 56.61 Sai Sudharsan as well enjoyed good exposure with Surrey having made 281 runs in two seasons. An experience by Arshdeep Singh (13 wickets) with Kent and Sundar (8 wickets and a five-wicket haul) playing Lancashire might help them adapt to the dynamics of English pitches rather fast. When Gill takes a rejuvenated Indian team into a series where the fortunes can change on an hourly basis, the challenge will not be against England, but the very English summer itself.
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
India vs England 1st Test, Leeds weather forecast: Rain to disrupt proceedings after 'sunny' prediction at Headingley?
As Shubman Gill gears up to lead India in his first Test as captain, the skies over Headingley may have a say in how this new era begins. With the first of five Tests between India and England set to begin on Friday in Leeds, overcast conditions and intermittent rain are expected to cast a shadow over proceedings through the weekend. According to AccuWeather, Days 2 and 3 could witness afternoon showers, while light evening showers are likely on Day 4, too. Though Days 1 and 5 are expected to remain clear, the constant cloud cover and moisture could significantly impact playing conditions, favouring seamers and testing the batters' patience and technique. It is expected that the first day will have minimal cloud cover, with a rare sunny day on the cards in Leeds. In such conditions, India may be tempted to go in with four seamers, a move well-suited to the prevailing weather. The choice of a lone spinner could come down to Ravindra Jadeja's utility and batting strength, Kuldeep Yadav's wrist-spin threat, or Washington Sundar's dual value with bat and ball. The surface and overhead conditions could dictate terms more than pre-series planning. Several members of the Indian squad will draw confidence from their recent county experiences. Gill, who played for Glamorgan in 2022, made an instant impression, scoring 244 runs in just four innings at an average of 61.00, including a classy 119. Karun Nair, who is likely to feature prominently in the middle order, had a prolific stint with Northamptonshire, 736 runs in 14 innings at 56.61, including a double century. Sai Sudharsan too had solid exposure with Surrey, scoring 281 runs across two seasons. Among bowlers, Arshdeep Singh's experience with Kent, where he picked up 13 wickets, and Sundar's stint with Lancashire, 8 wickets and a five-for, could prove valuable in adjusting quickly to the demands of English pitches. As Gill leads a refreshed Indian unit into a series where conditions could swing momentum by the hour, the test isn't just against England; it would be against the English summer itself.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hail the Prince: Shubman Gill's India captaincy a prophecy fulfilled but Test doubts remain
Shubman Gill was a pretty laid-back character when he played for Glamorgan three summers ago. So laid back, in fact, that early on during his time there he parked the brand new Volvo the club had arranged for him and apparently left the keys in the ignition. Sure enough, after training, he returned to find it had been pinched. Cue panic in the finance department at Sophia Gardens, calls to the insurers and the like. But at least his new teammates had material for some lighthearted mickey-taking. Gill, just turned 23 but already an India star on the rise, had arrived for three September rounds of the County Championship in 2022. Saying hello with 92 on debut in Cardiff, and goodbye with 119 at Hove, it sounds like he fitted in well. Advertisement Related: Tendulkar v Anderson: two master craftsmen who gave more than anyone to Test cricket | Andy Bull 'When he first turned up to nets, you knew he was just a class above everyone else,' Sam Northeast, the club's middle-order veteran, tells the Guardian. 'I don't want to put down other overseas players I've played with over the years but he was on a different level to a lot of them. It was just the amount of time he had, the shots he possessed, and the ability to place the ball where he wanted. We knew he was a star in the making. 'As a person, he was extremely relaxed, and I think you probably have to be that way to deal with the scrutiny which comes with playing for India. He was a little bit in the clouds, actually. A little bit 'are you here? Are you with us?' The closest I've seen to that is probably captaining Kagiso Rabada at Kent, who was very similar. Just no stress.' Like a lot of India players who come over to play county cricket, Gill enjoyed the relative anonymity of life in Cardiff; the ability to walk down the street without being swamped by requests for selfies. And though a transactional stint on one level – the club were chasing promotion to Division One, Gill his own improvement against the red Dukes ball – he has stayed in contact with a number of teammates since. Advertisement 'It was striking how good he was and very knowledgeable,' says Mark Wallace, director of cricket at Glamorgan. 'They call them cricket badgers these days. He knew the records of the players he was up against, the coaches too. Alan Wilkins, who is now our president, alerted us to his possible availability and then it was a case of contacting his agent, realising it wouldn't cost a king's ransom, and getting it sorted.' Glamorgan didn't quite get up that season and remain in Division Two but Gill's world has changed exponentially of late. After Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket last month, and Jasprit Bumrah told the Board of Control for Cricket in India his workload management would make captaincy too messy, the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, turned to Gill to lead. Five Tests in England, where India have not won a series since 2007, make for a serious baptism. The promotion was not a surprise in one sense, rather a long-held prophecy fulfilled. Born in Fazilka, Punjab, near the border with Pakistan, before moving to Mohali aged eight to be closer to the best facilities, the nickname Prince has followed him round to the point of sometimes appearing on his bat stickers. An Under-19s World Cup winner in 2018, schooled in the Indian Premier League and boasting the second-highest one-day international average in history (59.04), it always felt a case of when, not if, he would lead his country. Aged 25 and set to become India's fifth-youngest Test captain, the timing of Gill's appointment is still intriguing though. Gill is silky on the eye, back foot dominant and wonderfully correct; as the folks at Glamorgan attest, it all looks so good. And in terms of leadership, the CV includes two seasons at Gujarat Titans in the IPL – runners-up in 2025 – five T20is and an India A tour. By modern standards it is not a total Hail Mary. Advertisement But averaging 35 from 32 Tests, and with four of his five centuries coming in India – and the other in Bangladesh – the back catalogue of batting against the red ball still has plenty of gaps. England is one, with an average of 14 from two World Test Championship finals and a single appearance against the Bazballers in 2022. After a run of established greats being elevated to the captaincy, India have chosen a player who is still figuring things out. Like a number of Test careers, there have been sliding-doors moments. Last year, say, when England went 1-0 up in Hyderabad, a second-innings duck dropped Gill's Test average fall below 30 for the first time. According to the Indian Express, Rahul Dravid, then head coach, he was on the brink of sending his No 3 back to domestic cricket, only for a second-innings 104 in Vizag – in a 106-run victory – to prompt a rethink. By the end of a series that India won 4-1, Gill had banked another century in Dharamshala, his confidence restored to the point of telling Jimmy Anderson to retire during some on-field verbals. While Anderson soon got his revenge for Test wicket No 699, that flare-up supported a prediction from Jos Buttler, an IPL teammate this year, that Gill will blend Sharma's serenity with moments of aggression like Kohli. It will not be straightforward. India go into Friday's first Test off the back of six defeats and one win from their past eight outings and, given those high-profile retirements, the team is now in transition. Handed the keys much earlier than many expected and needing to lead with the bat, Gill will have precious little time to get up to speed.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Hail the Prince: Shubman Gill's India captaincy a prophecy fulfilled but Test doubts remain
Shubman Gill was a pretty laid-back character when he played for Glamorgan three summers ago. So laid back, in fact, that early on during his time there he parked the brand new Volvo the club had arranged for him and apparently left the keys in the ignition. Sure enough, after training, he returned to find it had been pinched. Cue panic in the finance department at Sophia Gardens, calls to the insurers and the like. But at least his new teammates had material for some lighthearted mickey-taking. Gill, just turned 23 but already an India star on the rise, had arrived for three September rounds of the County Championship in 2022. Saying hello with 92 on debut in Cardiff, and goodbye with 119 at Hove, it sounds like he fitted in well. 'When he first turned up to nets, you knew he was just a class above everyone else,' Sam Northeast, the club's middle-order veteran, tells the Guardian. 'I don't want to put down other overseas players I've played with over the years but he was on a different level to a lot of them. It was just the amount of time he had, the shots he possessed, and the ability to place the ball where he wanted. We knew he was a star in the making. 'As a person, he was extremely relaxed, and I think you probably have to be that way to deal with the scrutiny which comes with playing for India. He was a little bit in the clouds, actually. A little bit 'are you here? Are you with us?' The closest I've seen to that is probably captaining Kagiso Rabada at Kent, who was very similar. Just no stress.' Like a lot of India players who come over to play county cricket, Gill enjoyed the relative anonymity of life in Cardiff; the ability to walk down the street without being swamped by requests for selfies. And though a transactional stint on one level – the club were chasing promotion to Division One, Gill his own improvement against the red Dukes ball – he has stayed in contact with a number of teammates since. 'It was striking how good he was and very knowledgeable,' says Mark Wallace, director of cricket at Glamorgan. 'They call them cricket badgers these days. He knew the records of the players he was up against, the coaches too. Alan Wilkins, who is now our president, alerted us to his possible availability and then it was a case of contacting his agent, realising it wouldn't cost a king's ransom, and getting it sorted.' Glamorgan didn't quite get up that season and remain in Division Two but Gill's world has changed exponentially of late. After Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket last month, and Jasprit Bumrah told the Board of Control for Cricket in India his workload management would make captaincy too messy, the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, turned to Gill to lead. Five Tests in England, where India have not won a series since 2007, make for a serious baptism. The promotion was not a surprise in one sense, rather a long-held prophecy fulfilled. Born in Fazilka, Punjab, near the border with Pakistan, before moving to Mohali aged eight to be closer to the best facilities, the nickname Prince has followed him round to the point of sometimes appearing on his bat stickers. An Under-19s World Cup winner in 2018, schooled in the Indian Premier League and boasting the second-highest one-day international average in history (59.04), it always felt a case of when, not if, he would lead his country. Aged 25 and set to become India's fifth-youngest Test captain, the timing of Gill's appointment is still intriguing though. Gill is silky on the eye, back foot dominant and wonderfully correct; as the folks at Glamorgan attest, it all looks so good. And in terms of leadership, the CV includes two seasons at Gujarat Titans in the IPL – runners-up in 2025 – five T20is and an India A tour. By modern standards it is not a total Hail Mary. But averaging 35 from 32 Tests, and with four of his five centuries coming in India – and the other in Bangladesh – the back catalogue of batting against the red ball still has plenty of gaps. England is one, with an average of 14 from two World Test Championship finals and a single appearance against the Bazballers in 2022. After a run of established greats being elevated to the captaincy, India have chosen a player who is still figuring things out. Like a number of Test careers, there have been sliding-doors moments. Last year, say, when England went 1-0 up in Hyderabad, a second-innings duck dropped Gill's Test average fall below 30 for the first time. According to the Indian Express, Rahul Dravid, then head coach, he was on the brink of sending his No 3 back to domestic cricket, only for a second-innings 104 in Vizag – in a 106-run victory – to prompt a rethink. By the end of a series that India won 4-1, Gill had banked another century in Dharamshala, his confidence restored to the point of telling Jimmy Anderson to retire during some on-field verbals. While Anderson soon got his revenge for Test wicket No 699, that flare-up supported a prediction from Jos Buttler, an IPL teammate this year, that Gill will blend Sharma's serenity with moments of aggression like Kohli. It will not be straightforward. India go into Friday's first Test off the back of six defeats and one win from their past eight outings and, given those high-profile retirements, the team is now in transition. Handed the keys much earlier than many expected and needing to lead with the bat, Gill will have precious little time to get up to speed.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Ignored In County Cricket, Shoaib Bashir Now England's Leading Spinner For India Series
Shoaib Bashir is preparing to shoulder England's spinning burden against India even though the young bowler cannot even get into his own county team. The tall Somerset off-spinner is a fixture in Ben Stokes's Test side but is behind left-armer Jack Leach in the Taunton pecking order. In fact he often finds himself third choice, with Somerset preferring the all-round ability of Archie Vaughan in their County Championship matches. The 21-year-old Bashir was plucked from relative obscurity to make his Test debut against India in Visakhapatnam last year. He is set to make his 16th consecutive appearance in Friday's series opener against the same opponents at Headingley. Bashir has occasionally been paired with his county colleague Leach but more often than not has operated as England's lone spinner. His Test figures, while not remarkable, are solid for a spinner -- he has taken 58 wickets at an average of 36.39, including four five-wicket hauls. Bashir was named player of the match after taking nine wickets in England's innings victory against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last month. During the game he became the youngest England bowler to reach 50 Test wickets. 'Happy place' "It's always nice to put on an England shirt and walk out with the boys," said Bashir, speaking at Trent Bridge. "I feel like I am very well backed here. I feel backed in county cricket too but England cricket is my happy place. "I walk into this England team and feel 10 feet tall because of the backing I get." Bashir has done enough to persuade England captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum he is their main man, despite modest returns in first-class cricket. Prior to the Zimbabwe match, Bashir had taken just two first-class wickets this season at an eye-wateringly expensive average of 152 while on loan at second-division Glamorgan. His career average in first-class cricket is an unremarkable 48. Stokes recognises the unusual career path Bashir has taken, but stands by his man. "I know it's an odd story to look at, I can understand why it's one of those things where people find it hard to believe," said Stokes after the Zimbabwe game. "But those decisions in terms of who we pick, who we play and who we back, are ours to make. "If he keeps putting in performances like he has done this week, then hopefully one day it'll make sense to everyone why we pick him." Former England skipper Michael Vaughan, father of Somerset's Archie, believes there is too much focus on Bashir's county record. "England got hold of him a couple of years ago and threw him into the set-up," Vaughan told the BBC. "He has not got a great record in county cricket because he has not got a team. "Ben Stokes is his captain and whenever Ben Stokes is stood beside him he has very rarely let England down." Bashir is out of contract with Somerset at the end of the season and is now free to speak with other counties in the search for more regular first-team action. Reports suggest there have been no talks over a new deal with the southwest club. Former England spinner Graeme Swann, who coached Bashir in the second-string England Lions set-up, has previously encouraged the bowler to leave Somerset in search of game time. "Long-term, if the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) can just say, 'Look, this is bonkers. He's the best spinner in England. If you're not going to play him, then you have to let him go and play for someone else'," Swann told Talksport's Following On podcast. jw/jdg/bsp
