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India Vs England 1st Test: Decoding Visiting Team's Captains First-Ever Showing Over The Years

Anurag Dasgupta

How India captains performed on their first Test in ENG as captains [Source: @bet365/x.com] How India captains performed on their first Test in ENG as captains [Source: @bet365/x.com]

The stage is set for a riveting Test series as India will collide with England in a 5-match series, starting on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. This will be the first time India will tour England since the one-off Test in 2022. The visitors have had quite a few changes in their Test setup, including the departure of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

However, they have a new leader in Shubman Gill and the onus will be on the captain to lead the side from the front. The upcoming 5-match series will be a stern test for Gill as the captain of the team, and in this article, we examine how the previous 5 captains performed on their first match in England as captains.

Jasprit Bumrah - 2022

This was the first time Jasprit Bumrah led India in whites and heading into the game, India had a 2-1 lead in the series but that was against an under-performing England side. The 2022 team was known for its Bazball approach and the aggressive style came back to haunt India as the hosts chased down a mammoth 378 with utmost ease.

Bumrah was not at his best as the leader, given it was his first Test as India's captain; however, he was effective with the ball, picking up 5 wickets in the match.

Virat Kohli - 2018

The Virat Kohli-led side entered England on the back of an impressive showing on the South African tour, where, despite losing the series, the team performed exceedingly well.

However, the 2018 tour turned out to be a disaster for Kohli, not as a batter but as the captain as his side lost the series, 1-4. In the first match at Edgbaston, Birmingham, India lost the match but Kohli scored a stellar 149 to silence his critics.

MS Dhoni - 2011

It was in the summer of 2011 when MS Dhoni-led India toured England. They were the world champions and a lot was expected of them but the tour turned out to be a nightmare as MS Dhoni's team was whitewashed, 0-4. In the first Test, India lost at Lord's by 196 runs and MSD scored 28, and 16 in the two innings.

Rahul Dravid - 2007

The last time India won a Test series in England was back in 2007 and it was under Rahul Dravid, that the team achieved the feat. In the 3-game series, Team India won a solitary Test as the other two were a drawn affair. Dravid was a key figure in the series as he led from the front with his leadership role. In the first Test of the series at Lord's India drew a hard-fought game and Dravid scored 2 and 9 respectively.

Sourav Ganguly - 2002

One of the best Test captains of all time, Sourav Ganguly was an inspirational captain and he made sure that India fought bravely on his first tour to England as India captain.

Despite losing the first Test at Lord's India drew the second game and won the Headingley Test by a one-sided margin. The 4th Test was again a draw as the series ended, 1-1. On his first game as India captain in England, Ganguly failed to deliver as he accumulated only 5 runs in the combined two innings.