• England and India meet in epic five Test contest

• All the information on when and where to watch

• Ground guides and pitch stats

• The key players to watch out for

• Team strengths and weaknesses

• Free £5 Bet when your First Innings Top Bat pick hits 50. Bet here

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What is it?

England and India meet in a highly-anticipated five-Test series, starting from June 20. The winner will claim the Anderson-Tendulakr Trophy, named after respective legends for England India - James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar.

Previously when these two sides met they played for the Pataudi Trophy from 2007 but both cricket boards felt it was time to change the name to honour two greats of the game.

There is also the small matter of World Test Championship points. The two-year cycle to reach the final at Lord's starts again after South Africa beat Australia at Headquarters last week.

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When is it and how can I watch?

The first Test start at Leeds on June 20 with ach of the five Tests slated to last five days. All matches will be televised on Sky Sports in the UK, Sony and JioHotstar.

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Where are the matches played?

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

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What are the grounds like?

Headingley, first Test

• Six of the last seven have been won by the side batting second
• England have won six of the last seven
• The first-innings average runs per wicket is 22.5
• The fourth-innings average runs per wicket is 51.4
• The average runs per wicket for all innings is 28
• The last seven first-innings scores read: 263-329-78-179-174-427-298

When it comes to what expect to at Headingley, look up. The weather forecast is crucial. If there are overcast skies batting can be difficult with seam and swing available. But if the sun is out the surface often resembles a featherbed. Combining weather conditions with the state of the ball is a good way to strategise runs. If the sun is out and the ball old, partnerships can develop. If the ball is new and the skies are heavy, bowlers will be delighted.

In the last Test played there in 2023, England and Australia were engaged in a thriller. The hosts won by three wickets with 263 the highest score in the match. Chris Woakes took six wickets in the match and Ben Stokes hit a half-century. England chased 251 in the fourth innings.

When India last played there in 2021 they lost by an innings and 76 runs. They were bowled out for 78 in their first innings under heavy cloud. Only five India players remain from that Test. Joe Root made a century.

Edgbaston, second Test

• There have been no draws in the last nine
• The first-innings average runs per wicket is 33.8
• The fourth-innings average runs per wicket is 31.5
• England have won six of the last nine, losing three
• The last nine first-innings scores read: 282-393-416-303-284-287-514-297-136

Edgbaston is considered England's fortress and it's a venue where they are roared on by a boisterous home crowd. They beat West Indies there in the last Test but suffered defeat by Australia in 2023, a result which proved to be a nadir for their aggressive mentality when declaring in first-innings on just 393. They were beaten by two wickets as Australia chased a target of 281.

Joe Root has an excellent record at the ground. He has 920 runs at an average of 70. He has scored three centuries and five fifties in 16 innings. Chris Woakes, the England seamer, has 13 wickets in three on his home ground.

India have lost their last two there. Their 2022 defeat was harrowing. They were bang in charge of the Test after posting 416 and bowling England out for 284, with Rishabh Pant and Ravi Jadeja both scoring first-innings centuries. But England cruised home in a fourth-innings chase of 378 with Root scoring another ton. It was England's highest chase in Tests.

Lord's, third Test

• There have been only three draws in the last 18 Tests
• England have won eight of their last 17
• The first-innings average runs per wicket is 26.5
• The fourth-innings average runs per wicket is 34.4

Lord's is another venue where overhead conditions make a big difference. The recent World Test Championship final was a good example. Early on, with cloud cover, the bowlers were in charge only for batting to become easier as South Africa chased the highest score of the match to record a shock win. Batting getting easier as the match progresses is definitely a trend.

Chris Woakes has an excellent record at the ground known as Headquarters. He has a strike rate of 31.4 in his seven matches, better even than greats Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Ben Stokes has two centuries and four fifties in ten.

On India's last visit in 2021 they won by a massive 151 runs. KL Rahul scored a first-innings century and Mohammad Siraj took eight wickets in the match.

Old Trafford, fourth Test

• Five of the last nine have been won by the side batting first
• The first-innings average runs per wicket is 39
• The fourth-innings average runs per wicket is 23.2
• England have won seven of the last nine

The statistics suggest that Old Trafford is a pitch which deteriorates as the match goes on. That goes with its reputation as assisting spin bowlers. But it also has a reputation for poor weather. England still rue the downpour which cost them victory - and the Ashes - in Manchester in 2023.

England beat Sri Lanka there in 2024 with Shoaib Bashir, the spinner, taking three first-innings wickets. Jamie smith scored a first-innings century. The hosts had a minor wobble chasing 205 when they were reduced to 70 for three. Joe Root averages massive 65 in his 11 Tests there.

India haven't played a test at Old Trafford since 2014 when they lost by an innings.

The Oval, fifth Test

• There have been no draws in the last ten
• England have won five and lost four
• The first-innings average runs per wicket is 31.7
• The fourth-innings average runs per wicket is 32.2
• Seven of the last 10 have been won by the team batting first

The Oval has a reputation as being the best batting wicket in England. It is not justified. Bowlers have been in the game with seam and swing available. In the last nine first digs, under 300 runs have been scored four times so a run glut is far from guaranteed. Indeed, South Africa were bowled out for 118 in 2022 and the highest all-out score in the match was 169.

England have won their last two, beating Australia and Sri Lanka.

India will not have good recent vibes. They lost the world Championship final at the ground in 2023 but only four players remain from the XI. They lost by a massive 209 runs. The tourists did manage to beat England there in 2021, despite being rolled for 191 in the first innings.

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England v India head-to-head records in England

2021 England 2 India 2

2018 England 4 India 1

2014 England 3 India 1

2011 England 4 India 0 (4 Test series)

2007 England 0 India 1 (3 Test series)

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What are the squads?

England

Captain: Ben Stokes

Batters: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell

Wicketkeeper: Jamie Smith

All-rounders: Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse

Bowlers: Chris Woakes, Sam Cook, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

India

Captain: Shubman Gill 

Batters: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy

Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja

All-rounders: Druv Jurel , Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, 

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana

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What are the strengths and weaknesses of the teams?

England

A formidable outfit at home. They have lost one of their last 13 home series and are expert at making use of English conditions, as you would expect. That means utilising seam and swing bowling effectively.

They are best known for their aggressive batting approach, however, affectionately known as Bazball after coach Brendon McCullum. It is a strategy which has been hugely entertaining with captain Ben Stokes often saying he'd rather his team lose than play dull cricket. The idea is to score runs quickly with audacious strokeplay, leaving the opposition bewildered at the speed of runs and the sense of a lack of control.

It worked remarkably well against Australia in the Ashes in a 2-2 draw in a thrilling series in 2023. But it is also their biggest weakness and arguably cost them at least one defeat in that contest.

India

This series represents a changing of the guard for India. Legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have both retired from the format leaving a confident, young thrusting batting line-up in its place. Yas Jaiswal is expected to go toe-to-toe with the Bazballers for example in the opening position. Shubman Gill will be the new skipper and he faces a baptism of fire having never played a Test in England before.

Man for man there is no doubt India match England for ability. If they can adjust techniques to completely alien conditions, it could make for a topsy-turvy summer. Most importantly they must keep pace tyro Jasprit Bumrah fit. He may not play all five.

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Who are the players to watch?

Chris Woakes - England

Woakes is England's new grand master with the ball, taking over the role from James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the team's highest ever wicket-takers. Woakes will swing the ball and is a craftsman at work. Woakes has a strike rate (number of balls per wicket0 at 42.9 in England. It is a number which is superior to Anderson (52.3) and Broad (50.1) suggesting Woakes is at least on a par with their brilliance.

Jamie Smith - England

If India are to make headway against England's top order this series they could very likely hit a roadblock in the form of the square-shouldered Jamie Smith. Smith, England's wicketkeeper batter, is a brute who hits the ball hard and a long way. He does not win any awards for aesthetics but his long levers could frustrate India at key times. Expect him to be hitting crucial runs down the order.

Jasprit Bumrah - India

Bumrah took an incredible 32 wickets in India's 3-1 defeat by Australia in their last series. He will go down as one of the great all-format players. India must keep him as fit as possible and it would be no surprise if he had to miss one match given the tight schedule. He comes into the series off a back injury but when at his best, there is no better bowler on show on either team.

KL Rahul - India

In the absence of Rohit and Kohli, Rahul has the opportunity to be the senior batter in the middle order. India should bat him at No 4 to best utilise his experience of English conditions. He has shown excellent form in the warm-ups and it feels like his opportunity to establish himself in the pantheon of India's best.

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What are the odds?

Series winner

England	8/131.61
India	9/52.80
Draw	7/18.00

Series corect score

England 4-1	7/24.50
England 3-1	9/110.00
England 3-2	4/15.00
Draw 2-2	15/28.50
India 4-1	9/110.00
India 3-1	14/115.00
India 3-2	5/16.00

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