Shubman Gill's Team India begin training with first practice session at Lord's ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests [Watch]

Shubman Gill's Team India began their preparations for the upcoming Test series against England with a training session at Lord’s on Saturday, June 7. The five-match series is scheduled to commence on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.

The BCCI posted a video on X, showcasing players engaged in stretching exercises and playing football in the indoor centre. Subsequently, the team participated in running and fielding drills on the training ground. The BCCI captioned the video:

“Prep Begins. First sight of #TeamIndia getting into the groove in England.”

The England-India series will mark the beginning of both teams' campaigns in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. For India, it also signifies the dawn of a new era in Test cricket, following the retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Rohit announced his retirement on May 7, with Kohli stepping away five days later. Shubman Gill has been entrusted with the captaincy as the team embarks on a fresh chapter, while Rishabh Pant has been named his deputy. The upcoming series will also see a notable comeback, as Karun Nair returns to the Test squad after an eight-year hiatus.

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“It's the right move” - Australia’s World Cup-winning skipper backs India’s decision to appoint Shubman Gill as Test captain

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has endorsed India’s decision to name Shubman Gill as their new Test captain. Speaking to the ICC Review, the 50-year-old shared his thoughts on the appointment, saying:

"I actually think it's the right move. I know there's a lot of other people out there, pundits out there saying they can't understand why it wasn't Bumrah and why they have gone to Shubman, but I think it's pretty simple. Bumrah's injuries are holding him back a bit in the last couple of years and you don't want that with a captain. You can't have a captain coming in and missing games here and there, so I think it's I think it's the right decision."

The 25-year-old has played 32 Test matches for India, accumulating 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05, with five centuries and seven fifties to his name.