Dawn Of New Era For India

As Gill & Co face Eng, the 5-match series offers both teams a chance to make a statement

- FIROZ MIRZA @Chennai

WHEN the first Test of the five-match series between India and hosts England begins in Leeds, Headingley on Friday, it will also mark the beginning and a possible end of an era for both the teams. For an in-transition India, it will be the start of a new partnership between a newly-appointed and young captain Shubman Gill and the headstrong Gautam Gambhir.

The English side, led by Ben Stokes, meanwhile, will be at the opposite end of the spectrum. The next few months will decide how long the current partnership between the captain and coach Brendon McCullum will continue and what the future holds for their now famous Bazball brand of cricket.

As the teams also begin their World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with the series, a favourable result here can set the tone for the winners ahead of the next final in 2027. While India made it to the two WTC finals out of three, England have never managed to qualify for the summit clash.