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The much-anticipated five-match Test series between England and India is set to commence on Friday at Headingley, Leeds. With the series marking a fresh chapter for both sides, excitement is at an all-time high. India, under the leadership of Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant, are entering a new era following the retirement of senior pros Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. England, meanwhile, remain a formidable force at home, boasting a settled core led by Ben Stokes and Joe Root.
The battle promises to be a gripping contest, with both teams fielding high-quality lineups and the conditions expected to challenge even the best of players. Fans around the world are eagerly waiting to see who shines brightest in this marquee series.
Ravichandran Ashwin picks the leading run-scorer and highest wicket-taker
Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last year, has shared his predictions for the standout performers of the series on his YouTube channel. According to Ashwin, if England’s Chris Woakes features in all five matches, he’s a strong candidate to end up as the leading wicket-taker of the series.
“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,” said Ashwin.
From the Indian camp, Ashwin believes Mohammed Siraj will take the most wickets, especially with Jasprit Bumrah expected to be rotated due to workload management.
“From India, since Bumrah will not play all matches, I think Siraj will be the leading wicket-taker,” he added.
When it comes to run-scorers, Ashwin backed Rishabh Pant to dominate with the bat for India, despite initially considering KL Rahul.
“KL Rahul could be the leading run-scorer but as he’s opening, he might have a few tough first innings. So I will go with Rishabh Pant — he can only get himself out,” Ashwin noted.
For England, he singled out Joe Root as the standout batter, while also giving a mention to aggressive left-hander Ben Duckett. He said: “Can’t look past Joe Root for England, while Ben Duckett is also a good shout.”
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Quality players on both sides promise riveting contest
Both India and England are stacked with talent across departments. England’s top order boasts the experience of Root and Zak Crawley, the flair of Duckett, and the all-round leadership of Ben Stokes. Their bowling unit includes promising pacers like Brydon Carse and Shoaib Bashir, with seasoned campaigners such as Woakes ready to make an impact.
On the Indian side, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rahul will look to provide solid starts, while Gill and Pant form the backbone of the middle order. With Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna in their pace attack, India have the firepower to trouble English batters even in their own conditions.
Also READ: Wasim Jaffer picks India’s playing XI for the first Test against England, no place for Nitish Reddy
