England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first against India in the opening Test at Headingley on Friday. The skies were clear and sunny, and while the pitch had a hint of green, it still looked good for batting.
Stokes said England hoped to take early advantage of the conditions. “Headingley is usually a good wicket, and we’ve had some great games here,” he noted. England made two changes from their win over Zimbabwe. Chris Woakes returned for the injured Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse made his home debut.
India, meanwhile, handed a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan, who batted at number three. New captain Shubman Gill moved to number four, hoping to lead India to their first Test series win in England since 2007. “The preparation has been amazing,” Gill said, expressing confidence in his team’s form and mindset.
The match also marks the beginning of a new World Test Championship cycle. It follows South Africa’s win over Australia in the final at Lord’s last week. This five-match series will be played over seven weeks.
Both teams wore black armbands to honor victims of a tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 241 lives. The only survivor was a young child. The cricketing world paid respects with a moment of silence before the game.