The India-England Test series kicked off on June 20th at Headingley. Shubman Gill, now captain, and Rishabh Pant, his deputy, lead India in this series, which is also the beginning of the new WTC cycle (2025-27). Sai Sudarshan, the IPL 2025 Orange Cap winner, was presented with his debut Test cap by Cheteshwar Pujara. June 20th has proven to be a day of significance for Indian cricketers making their Test debuts.
Recalling the past, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly debuted on June 20, 1996, both at Lord’s. Dravid’s batting prowess and Ganguly’s captaincy played pivotal roles. In 2011, Abhinav Mukund, Praveen Kumar, and Virat Kohli also made their Test debuts on this date.
In the ongoing match at Leeds, England chose to bowl after winning the toss. India’s opening batsmen, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, showed early resilience against the English bowlers before KL Rahul’s dismissal.