India begins their England tour Leeds to make their way into the India vs England Test Series today, June 20. With Shubman Gill making his captaincy debut, he is set to face seasoned skipper Ben Stokes at the Headingley pitch. Stokes, on the other hand, believes Jasprit Bumrah is going to be a “threat: for the Three Lions in the red-ball tournament.
The right-arm seamer is his top form as Team India embarks on a new era of with modern day giants Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring for the Test format. During India’s training session in Beckenham, Kent’s second home venue, Bumrah displayed his unparalleled mastery in the art of pace bowling. With the ball in his hand, Bumrah showed signs of breaking the notion of requiring assistance from the surface to wreak havoc.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ben Stokes told the media, “Bumrah leading their attack is a fantastic bowler, but there are 11 players on the team, and it takes a team to win a game of cricket. But we know Bumrah is an amazing bowler all around the world. His record shows that wherever he goes, he does well. So we know Bumrah is going to be a threat, but we know that every other bowler that India have is also going to be a threat…”
Bumrah’s partial participation
Bumrah was one of the top contenders for the captaincy position before Gill took the lead. However, this came after Bumrah’s scattered presence throughout the IND vs ENG Test Serie 2025. Moreover, chief selector Ajit Agarkar advised the bowler to not contest to manage his workload. It also came as a precaution from a stress reaction in the back during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney in January.
Due to injuries, he also skipped out on India’s victory match in the Champion Trophy and the first match for his team Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2025. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir is yet to reveal which tests Bumrah will be fielding among the Playing XI.
India’s tour of England Test Series
India tour of England will take place from June to August 2025, with matches to be played at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord’s (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London).