In what will be a big positive for the Indian team ahead of the upcoming high-profile five-match Test series against England, the top stars have looked in good touch with both the bat and the ball. The senior Indian team are playing a four-day warm-up Test against the India A side which started today (June 13), and will be the final chance for preparation before the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy starts on June 20.
Skipper Shubman Gill, who didn’t play any of the first two unofficial Tests against England Lions, looked in good form by hitting a deft fifty on Day 1 of the contest. On the other hand, KL Rahul continued his sublime form from the second match against the Lions where he hit a ton and a fifty with another half-century in his kitty today. Both players will shoulder big responsibility when the series against the Three Lions beings, especially in the absence of veteran batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma following their retirements from the longest format.
All-rounder Shardul Thakur, who is a strong contender for a spot in the playing XI, also delivered with the ball and was amongst the wickets. Notably, Thakur has played both the practice Tests against England Lions and picked up four wickets, two in each game while managing scores of 27, 19 and 34.
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India’s last Test series victory in England came 18 years ago in 2007 and Gill & Co will be determined to end this long-standing drought almost after two decades.
The ENG vs IND series also marks the beginning of India’s World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. After suffering defeats in two consecutive WTC Finals (2021 and 2023) and failing to qualify for the 2025 cycle due to disappointing losses against New Zealand and Australia, the team will be eager for a fresh start and a stronger performance in the new campaign.
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