The 2025-27 World Test Championship has already gotten underway with Sri Lanka hosting Bangladesh in a two Test series this week. However, it is the Pataudi Trophy that will take centre stage when England face off against India at Headingley Cricket Ground on June 20.
India fell short of reaching the 2025 World Test Championship final despite being the side with the best odds heading into their home series against New Zealand. However, their first home clean sweep and a 3-1 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under saw them miss out on the WTC final for the first time in history, having made it to the 2021 and 2025 finals.
England were also seemingly the best Test side in the world after their massive win against Pakistan in the first test of their tour of Pakistan. However, the hosts' superb showing in the following two tests pretty much ruled them out of the running for the WTC final. Additionally, their inability to clean sweep New Zealand in their final series of the 2023-25 cycle was the final nail in England's coffin.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times, and the latest lineup news.
England vs. India live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch the 1st Test between England and India in the U.S. and Canada:
Fans in the United States and Canada will be able to watch this game live exclusively on Willow TV.
Willow Sports is a cable TV channel, but if it's not included in your current package or you've cut the cord, it's available on Fubo US and Fubo Canada.
Fubo offers Willow TV as part of its expanded sports offering. In addition to live matches, you can also watch replays and highlights on demand any time from any device.
Fubo US offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Sports fans can enjoy Fubo Canada's 79-channel lineup, unlimited Cloud DVR and more for as little as $19.25/month.
What time does England vs. India start in the US?
The 1st Test match between England and India will be played at Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds, England, from Friday, June 20, to Tuesday, June 24. Play is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. local time (BST) each day, which translates to 6:00 a.m. ET or 3:00 a.m. PT in the United States.
England vs. India predicted XIs, team news
England's gung-ho approach under head coach Brendon McCullum is set to continue for England through the Pataudi Trophy. The offensive outlook towards their batting shows up clearly in the batting lineup, as they have often gone with a top-heavy eleven.
Joe Root was the top scorer in the 2023-25 cycle of the World Test Championship with 1,968 runs through 40 innings and will be their star batter at No. 4 yet again. Meanwhile, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook were the third and fourth top scorers through the same cycle, and will be starting the clash as well, as expected.
Bowling has been a point of concern for England following James Anderson's retirement, as Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue have not lived up to expectations. Sam Cook is expected to take the field in front of Brydon Carse and Jamie Overton, while Shoaib Bashir will be their lone spinner.
England predicted XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, Shoaib Bashir.
It will be somewhat of a new look batting lineup for India heading into the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle after Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format. It is expected that KL Rahul will open for the side alongside youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was the second-highest scorer in the 2023-25 cycle.
Karun Nair is set to return to the Indian test cricket scene after an eight-year absence as he will likely be the chosen candidate for Shubman Gill's vacant No. 3 spot, with the new captain set to take up the No.4 position.
It is a toss-up between Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy for the spot of the fast bowling all-rounder, while Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will be the spinners, as their batting gives them priority over Kuldeep Yadav. With Mohammed Shami missing the squad, Prasidh Krishna or Akash Deep could likely be the starter alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
India predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj