Eighteen years have passed since India last won a Test series in England. 18. That's the number. In the last 18 years, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have made their debuts, established a legacy unlike any other, and retired. Despite this, they haven't been able to secure a Test victory in England. And today, in 2025, do not discount the potential for surprise as a young Indian team takes center stage in England, despite the fact that they are obviously not the frontrunners to dispel the curse. The 2020–21 trip of Australia is the only place to look for evidence of this, as a young Indian team, dealing with injuries, accomplished the impossible and finished a memorable 2–1 series victory.

Since 2018, India has not lost a Test series to England. They won 3-1 against England at home in 2021, drew 2-2 in the series in 2021–2022, and beat them once more at home last year, 4-1. But the next series, which begins in 10 days, presents a new challenge. India begins a new World Test Championship cycle under the leadership of new captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, marking the start of the post-Kohli-Rohit-Ashwin period as they seek to identify and develop fresh talent.

With a little over a month before the Test series, Virat Kohli's retirement caught the public off guard, but the English seem to be more impacted by it than the Indians. Ollie Pope, along with other current and past cricketers, is lamenting the absence of Kohli in England. Pope believes that India will undoubtedly miss having their most successful captain in the UK. The pool of young talent that has been infused into the Indian team is something that Pope is completely confident in. However, at the end of the day, there is only one Virat Kohli.

"Even though it's a young team, these Indian players possess so much depth and skill. Therefore, there are many talented young men passing through. Their new captain, Shubman Gill, is an excellent player. They will miss the atmosphere of Virat Kohli standing at slips and chattering. However, they will feel assured knowing that they have some decent talent. But our players are prepared for it," Pope told talkSPORT cricket in an interview.

England and the Pope prepared for India

According to the Pope, England, who haven't played a high-caliber Test team in the past 12 months, are happy to have a team like India touring them as the ideal prep for the major event later this year—the Ashes in Australia. But he isn't making the error of treating the series against India as an afterthought. Even more so considering that it took England seven years to defeat the Men in Blue in a Test series.

"Now is a great time for us to play India. With India joining us, the West Indies and Sri Lanka are in our league from last summer, but the caliber of play they will bring is a fantastic way for us to concentrate on that and not think about the future. Therefore, it is the ideal time for us to play India, and once the Ashes begin, it will be a thrilling experience," Pope emphasized.

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