England vs India first Test and series predictions, betting tips and odds: Hosts can edge thrilling five-match series

Where to watch England vs India

First Test
Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event, 11am Friday

Best bets

England to win the series 3-1
1pt 9-1 bet365

England to win the series 3-2
1pt 9-2 Paddy Power

Chris Woakes to be top England first-innings wicket-taker
1pt 23-10 Paddy Power

Zak Crawley to score over 50.5 match runs in first Test
3pts 5-6 bet365

Rishabh Pant to hit most first-innings sixes for India
1pt 15-4 bet365

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England vs India Test series odds

Here are the latest odds for the five-Test series between England and India which starts at Headingley on Friday, June 20

Odds correct at time of publication

England vs India first Test odds

Here are the latest odds for the first Test between England and India which starts at Headingley on Friday, June 20

Odds correct at time of publication

England vs India series prediction

England have won their last five Test matches at Headingley and they will be aiming to extend that streak when their five-match series against India starts on Friday.

Ben Stokes's men kicked off the summer with an innings victory over Zimbabwe but things should be far tougher as they take on India at home before the Ashes series in Australia. 

India's spinners condemned England to a 4-1 away defeat last year but Stokes's side are 8-13 to avenge that loss on home turf.

England are 11-4 to claim their first away Ashes series success since 2010-11 against Australia, who were well beaten by South Africa in last week's World Test Championship final at Lord's.

For now, though, the focus is on an India side captained by Shubman Gill after the Test retirements of skipper Rohit Sharma and batting icon Virat Kohli.

England's Test form has been patchy over the past couple of years. They suffered a shock defeat to Sri Lanka in their final home match of 2024 before a 2-1 defeat in Pakistan and a 2-1 win in New Zealand over the winter.

They played some terrific cricket in the 2023 Ashes but had to settle for a 2-2 draw, which was also the scoreline when India visited in a five-match series spread over the 2021 and 2022 summers.

England's lack of ruthlessness and India's improved overseas performances mean splitting stakes on a 3-1 or 3-2 home series win is advised.

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is the pivotal figure in this series and the tourists hope he will be fit enough to play all five Tests.

Bumrah was the leading wicket-taker on either side in India's last series in England and he was sensational in last winter's 3-1 defeat in Australia.

He claimed 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 while fellow paceman Mohammad Siraj took 20 scalps in five Tests.

Bumrah can win a Test match virtually on his own but England's batsmen will fancy their chances against India's back-up bowlers, especially if the sun continues to shine this summer.

England vs India first Test prediction

India's new-look batting unit contains some talented players, including brilliant opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and there is an unfamiliar look to England's bowling attack for the first Test.

Retirements and injuries mean Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and spinner Shoaib Bashir are the four frontline bowlers, although Stokes produced a couple of sharp spells in the Zimbabwe Test.

Woakes looks a worthy favourite to be England's top first-innings wicket-taker at Headingley, where he picked up six wickets against Australia in 2023. 

He also took six scalps on his return from injury for Warwickshire in May and claimed 3-60 and 2-43 in England Lions' unofficial Test against a strong India A side this month.

Headingley is traditionally a tough venue for opening batsmen but the warm weather could make facing the new ball a little easier and Zak Crawley's match runs line looks too low.

Crawley has struggled to shed his reputation for inconsistency but he scored 124 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge and his last six Tests against India yielded 55, 51, 149, 26, 102 and 79 runs.

He had match aggregates of 68, 51, 77, 189 and 95 in the 2023 Ashes series and, despite the threat of Bumrah and Siraj, he is worth supporting. 

India number five Rishabh Pant signed off his IPL campaign for Lucknow with an unbeaten 118 against champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Pant struck eight sixes that day, having cleared the ropes five times in his most recent Test match against Australia in Sydney, and he could produce some fireworks in India's first innings in Leeds.

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England vs India Test series schedule

June 20-24: First Test, Headingley
July 2-6: Second Test, Edgbaston
July 10-14: Third Test, Lord's
July 23-27: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
July 31-August 4: Fifth Test, The Oval

England vs India first Test team news

England
The hosts have named their team, with Ollie Pope preferred to Jacob Bethell at number three. Fast bowlers Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood are injured and the full England line-up is: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (c), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 Shoaib Bashir.

India
KL Rahul will open the batting with new captain Shubman Gill at number four after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Sai Sudharsan, top runscorer in this season's IPL, could make his Test debut and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj is fit to lead the attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah.

England vs India first Test weather

Day one: Cloudy but dry, 27C
Day two: Sunny with a gentle breeze, 29C
Day three: Sunny and breezy, 25C
Day four: Cloudy but dry, 21C
Day five: Sunny spells, 22C

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