India vs England Tests 2025: Shubman Gill’s reign as India’s highest Test captain could not have received a better start than what his unit delivered on Friday against Ben Stokes’ England in Leeds.
Fired by record-breaking tons from Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Gill, India propelled themselves to a commanding start on a belter of a pitch at Headingley, even drawing comparisons from Sachin Tendulkar to the 2002 performance at Leeds from India that included three centuries in an innings. While Jaiswal cracked a ton on his maiden innings in England, making him only the fifth Indian batter to do so, skipper Gill recorded his maiden century outside Asia in Tests to become the fifth Indian man to strike the three-figure mark on captaincy debut.
IND vs ENG Live Score, 1st Test Day 2
India finished the day at 359 for three with Gill unbeaten on 127 and vice-captain Rishabh Pant cruising through to 65 not out. With the pitch holding up firmly, India would want to double their first-innings shares and hope to pin the hosts down twice, possibly targetting one of their highest-ever team totals in England.
Interestingly, India’s Leeds performance of 2002 remains the only time where they have won a match after registering a 500-plus score in England, with four other instances resulting in a draw and a defeat once in 1967. India’s highest Test total in England stands at 664 at the Oval during their last Test series win in the country in 2007. Led by Anil Kumble’s maiden Test hundred (110) and five fifties from the top-7 batters, India erected the mammoth total in the first innings of the drawn game. In 2002, steered by hundreds from Rahul Dravid (148), Tendulkar (193) and Sourav Ganguly (127), India put on their then-highest score in England at 628/8 decl. before registering an innings victory.
Here’s a look at India’s highest Test scores in England
| Team | Score | Overs | Inns | Result | Ground | Start Date |
| India | 664 | 170 | 1 | draw | The Oval | 9 Aug 2007 |
| India | 628/8d | 180.1 | 1 | won | Leeds | 22 Aug 2002 |
| India | 606/9d | 173 | 1 | draw | The Oval | 23 Aug 1990 |
| India | 521 | 167 | 1 | draw | Nottingham | 4 Jul 1996 |
| India | 510 | 209.2 | 3 | lost | Leeds | 8 Jun 1967 |
| India | 508 | 170 | 2 | draw | The Oval | 5 Sep 2002 |
