Series involving England and India always bring bite, big shots, lightning-fast delivery and stunning pieces of wizardry in the field…and that has certainly already been the case over the last month.
It is not surprising when considering the level of talent crammed into each team, with some of the best players in the men’s game taking to the field.
The first three Tests of a mouthwatering five-match series has seen England go 2-1 up, but it has swing one way and then the other.
With so much still on the line, LiveCricket.io have put together their best England and India combined XI.
Ben Duckett
Ben Duckett loves to attack the ball, and this can make him a nightmare for both England and the opposition.
His love for getting bat on ball can put his opponents on the back-foot immediately and helps to soften the ball for those below him in the order. However, if the ball is moving and he continually plays loose shots, an edge feels inevitable.
His average of 41.89 is very impressive for an opener. This goes up to 47.33 at home. Opening the batting is an incredibly tough job, and it is even harder in England where the ball swings back and forth. Duckett is the type of opener that most sides would fight hard to have in their team as when he is playing well, the runs flow.
KL Rahul
Despite being 33, KL Rahul feels like he has only really cemented his place in the last few years for India in the Test format.
This is more down to the continued evolution of an average that was at 17.13 in 2022 and has improved with each year that has passed. While his overall average is 35.55, his average in 2025 is currently 55.14.
Rahul is the type of player that has added comfort in defending along with fluent stroke-play to his overall game.
Ten centuries in 107 innings is a rather low tally, but he has impressed against England so far, helping to negate the new ball bowlers in fine style before taking the attack to England with some excellent field piercing shots.
Shubman Gill
India’s new captain has been superb with the bat against England so far. Scores of 147, 8, 269, and 161 in the first two Tests have seen the rookie captain excel with the bat in hand.
He has also been impressive with his captaincy, playing intelligent fields and making bowling changes at the ideal time.
For a man following on as captain after the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Gill knew he had a lot to live up to. However, he has taken his opportunity with both hands, and India may have found their next poster-boy for many years to come.
Joe Root
The only reason we have pushed Gill up to number three is because arguably the best batsmen in the game today should be playing in his best position.
Joe Root exudes confidence and class when out in the middle, blending classic shots with exciting sweeps and ramps. He is a bowler’s nightmare when on his game.
With an average of 50.80 coming alongside 13,259 runs, the fifth-highest run scorer in men’s Test cricket is a player that any team would take in a heartbeat in any of the three formats.
Harry Brook
Harry Brook is a player that can turn a situation on its head at a moment’s notice. His ability to attack the opposition bowlers by finding the gaps or boundary rope with his array of shots makes him superb when he is counter-attacking or looking to build on England’s advantage.
The one concern is that a few of his early dismissal against India have been soft, with poor shot selection accounting for him early-on. Despite this, Brook is a man that has topped the men’s Test batting rankings, and with very good reason.
Ben Stokes (Captain)
Despite not being at his best with the bat across the first three matches against India, Ben Stokes is still the most important player in this England side.
As captain, he is fearless, generally looking to attack the batsmen with offensive fields, while he has been known to create some very interesting field placements too.
With the bat, Stokes can flick the switch in a second. Whether slamming huge sixes or digging in, Stokes can prove a match-winner with the bat in hand.
However, in the current series against India, Stokes has been most prolific with the ball. He has continually taken wickets with fiery spells that have put the pressure on his opponents, showing that as an all-rounder and captain, Stokes is irreplaceable.
Rishabh Smith/Jamie Smith
How do you separate the two wicketkeepers? Well, as this is our team, we won’t be choosing one of the other.
Rishabh Pant is currently averaging 65.75 in Tests in 2025, while Jamie Smith is up at 104.75 this year. Both boast an incredible range of attacking shots, with neither scared to heave the ball into the crowd or split the field with well-placed shots as they make their way to centuries and fifties consistently.
With the gloves, both Smith and Pant are vital to their teams. Both have lightning quick reactions, ensuring catches when standing up at the stumps or stumpings are always in the equation.
They are also brilliant with their all-round game behind the stumps, with their athleticism ensuring that if a catch is there to be taken, it is generally snaffled.
This was always going to be the toughest decision with the two explosive wicket-keeper/batsmen currently at the top of the game.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja is one of the top all-rounders in the world right now. His spin later in the innings can prove deadly due to the footmarks the quicks flying in across the course of the four innings create.
His variations and accuracy also see the pressure tick up on the batters with each delivery, either resulting in them playing all around a delivery or playing a foolish shot as they try to relieve the pressure.
Interestingly, he has been more of a batting all-rounder in the current series with England. Continued half-centuries have invariably curtailed England’s momentum when they have brought him to the crease.
As an accomplished white ball player, he is also able to find the boundary when needed, making him a real threat with both bat and ball.
Jofra Archer
Pace, pace and more pace. Whether facing Jofra Archer with the new ball or later in the match, the quick is one of those players that seems to find speed from nowhere.
Indeed, his leisurely run-in to bowl makes it look like he will be clocking in at around 70mph. However, he ability to hit above 90mph and to get the ball to move makes him a threat whether he is targeting the stumps or not.
Injuries have hampered his playing time for England, which is a crying shame. However, when he is in the team, he invariably takes his chance.
The booming sixes off the bat may not be regular enough to see him regarded as more of a genuine all-rounder, but Archer easily walks into this team for his wicket-taking ability.
Jasprit Bumrah
The best all-formats bowler in the world, Jasprit Bumrah is the type of bowler most batsmen breathe a sigh of relief when they see him end his spell.
With pace, aggression and one of the most accurate yorkers in the game today, Bumrah has marked himself as not only the premier bowler in the Indian team, but also in the world.
What is also impressive about Bumrah is that his economy rate in Tests is just 2.77. This means that even if the wickets are not tumbling, he is keeping the opposition honest.
This generally ends in opponents feeling they have to play shots against the rest of the bowlers, or Bumrah eventually seeing the stumps uprooted as the batsmen finally lose their patience.
Mohammed Siraj
While he is not technically as good as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohamed Siraj is the sort of player that gets his teammates and the fans on their feet. His aggressive bowling has seen wickets tumble, while his desire to get in the face of the opposition has seen an enthralling series taken up a notch.
Alongside Bumrah, Siraj has been able to make the ball talk in the current series against England, and he will likely prove a thorn in the side of teams facing India for many years to come.
Also Read:
- IND vs ENG: Jadeja, Sundar, Gill Hundreds Help India Earn Dramatic Draw Against England in 4th Test
- “If There Are No Bilateral Matches, Why Play in Multination Events?”: Azharuddin on India-Pakistan Asia Cup Clash
- Men’s Asia Cup 2025 To Be Held In UAE; ACC
- Ben Stokes Creates History With 11,000 International Runs And Rare 7,000 Runs-200 Wickets Test Feat
