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England have already announced their playing XI for the first Test against India but fans are still curious to know how Shubman Gill-led side's final eleven will shape up. However, spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin has given an idea how India's playing XI will shape up for the series opener which is scheduled to be played from June 20 at Headingley in Leeds
In a recent prediction, veteran Indian spinner R Ashwin has revealed his preferred Indian playing eleven for the first Test of the five-match series against England. The series marks the beginning of India's campaign in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.
Here's how R Ashwin's India's playing XI for 1st Test vs England looks like
Gautam Gambhir-led team management must be scratching their heads thinking about India's playing XI, given the absence of several senior players and the inclusion of numerous promising newcomers in the squad. Offering his expert opinion, Ashwin has put forth a formidable lineup. His top six batsmen include KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, captain Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, and the dynamic Rishabh Pant.
For the all-rounder positions, Ashwin has placed his faith in the experienced pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur. This selection notably excludes other contenders like Kuldeep Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Completing his ideal team, Ashwin has opted for a potent fast-bowling trio, naming Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna as the frontline seamers.
"KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
According to Ravichandran Ashwin's analysis, a key selection decision for the team will revolve around the No. 6 batting position. He foresees a direct contest for this spot between two capable players: Karun Nair and Dhruv Jurel.
In Ashwin's view, despite the competition, Karun Nair is the probable frontrunner to secure the position in the playing eleven. He attributes this likelihood to Nair's recent and outstanding performances, suggesting that his "red-hot form" gives him a significant advantage in the selection process.
"For No.6 it could be either Karun Nair or Dhruv Jurel. You cannot ignore Karun's form, but I think there is a chance that Jurel comes into the mix. When Bumrah broke down in Australia, we did not have bowling options. So at No.8 do you play Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, or another frontline pacer?," Ashwin said of the team combination.
In addition to selecting his ideal playing XI, Ravichandran Ashwin shared his predictions for the standout individual performers in the upcoming India versus England Test series. For the English side, he anticipates that the honor of leading wicket-taker will go to either pacer Chris Woakes or spinner Shoaib Bashir. On the batting front, Ashwin singled out the veteran Joe Root to be England's most prolific run-scorer throughout the series.
Turning his attention to the Indian team, Ashwin made some noteworthy forecasts. He picked pacer Mohammed Siraj as his candidate for India's leading wicket-taker. He reasoned that with Jasprit Bumrah not expected to play in all the matches of the series, Siraj has a prime opportunity to step up and claim the top spot. Regarding India's top run-scorer, Ashwin revealed a change in his initial assessment. While he first considered KL Rahul for the position, he ultimately settled on Rishabh Pant as his final choice to lead the batting charts for India.
"If Chris Woakes plays all five matches, I would say he would be the leading wicket-taker of the series, or maybe even Shoaib Bashir. From India, since Bumrah will not play all matches, I think Siraj will be the leading wicket-taker. Have to go with KL Rahul as the leading run-scorer, but because he is opening the batting, he might have a few first-innings glitches. So, I will go with Rishabh Pant instead. Rishabh can only get himself out. Can't look past Joe Root for England, while Ben Duckett is also a good shout," Ashwin further stated.
"If Chris Woakes plays all five matches, I would say he would be the leading wicket-taker of the series, or maybe even Shoaib Bashir. From India, since Bumrah will not play all matches, I think Siraj will be the leading wicket-taker. Have to go with KL Rahul as the leading run-scorer, but because he is opening the batting, he might have a few first-innings glitches. So, I will go with Rishabh Pant instead. Rishabh can only get himself out. Can't look past Joe Root for England, while Ben Duckett is also a good shout," he concluded.
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