Just as tempting as it was, we are not talking about something that happened 32 years ago to this day when world witnessed (should I say read about) the greatest (still the case) ODI inning by an Indian batter.

A preview of the Headingly Test and the palindrome at Lords

The 2025 India in England series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy (or is it Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy) will start on June 20 with the first skirmish at the Headingly cricket ground. A new look and relatively inexperienced Indian team takes on an English team whose bowling attack seems somewhat lacking in experience as well.

Questions

1. Will India give Sai Sudharsan his debut and have him bat at 3 ? Or would it be Easwaran ?
2. How will Karun Nair do on his much awaited return to interational cricket ?
3. Will we see a flat track more suited to the English Bazball model of play that also will defang India's bowling spearhead ?

What are we talking about in this episode ?

Before jumping into the England-India series we do a little review of the WTC final where the South Africans channeled Shakira with "This time for Africa" with a wonderful heist at Lords. And just like that 27 years of waiting including several moments of agony were washed away, a little like how RCB did so a couple of weeks ago.

We then delve into the Headingly test including a short detour to the last two tests in Headingly that featured these teams - one in 2021 and one in 2002, both of which ended with teams winning by an innings and some. Incidentally these two teams have faced off only twice at Headingly since the turn of the century - the Wall was unbreakable in one and the Lord could not single handedly carry the team in the other.

We talk about the various likely combinations of the two teams, essentially on those slots that are not set in stone as yet. And also dwell on the likely nature of the playing surface and its impact on the selections.

England has since announced their playing XI.

Take a listen and let us know what you think.

#INDvsEng #Headingly #Tendulkar #JimmyAnderson #KapilDev #Markram #WTC

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Anand Kumar Sankaran