Leeds, June 18 (IANS) With India set to begin the daunting challenge of attempting to emerge victorious on English soil for the first time since 2007, the Shubman Gill-led side will be taking on hosts England in the first Test at the Headingley Cricket Ground.

As per Accuweather, the opening day of the Test on Friday will be the hottest of the five days, with the temperature expected to rise to 30 degrees Celsius. Although the temperature will remain pretty much the same on Saturday, strong winds will be coming in from the South direction at a speed of 17 kilometres per hour.

Sunday will be an eventful day on the pitch with overcast conditions expected to shadow Leeds, with a cloud cover percentage of 91%. Strong wind gusts of 54 km/hr are expected.

The temperature will fall to 21 and 23 degrees on Day 4 and Day 5, with a 25 percent chance of precipitation predicted for both days.

In 22 games since Brendon McCullum was appointed the head coach in 2022, the team that opted to field first have won on nine out of 15 occasions, while the six attempts of electing to bat first have resulted in losses.

Leeds usually accommodates a mid-series Test, but with the opening game scheduled to be played at the venue, Richard Robinson, Head Groundsman at Leeds, spoke with Cricinfo and revealed the wicket will offer early seam and bounce on Day 1 before potentially flattening, offering something for the batters.

India made their debut at this venue back in 1952, suffering a defeat by seven wickets. Since then, they’ve featured in seven games at this ground, managing to emerge victorious only twice, with one match finishing in a draw. The team’s two victories at the venue came under the captaincy of Kapil Dev in 1986 and Sourav Ganguly in 2002. Their most recent appearance was in 2021 during Virat Kohli’s tenure as captain, which ended in a crushing loss by an innings and 76 runs.

Where will the India vs England first Test be played?

India vs England first Test will be played at the Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds.

When will the India vs England first Test begin?

The first Test between India and England will begin on Friday, June 20. The match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM IST.

Where to watch the India vs England first Test?

India vs England first Test will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network, while the live stream will be available on JioHotstar.

–IANS

aaa/bsk/