Leeds, June 20 -- England Test captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl against India in the opening Test of the five-match series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on Friday at Headingley.

India begins a new era without its batting mainstays Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and frontline off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Shubman Gill is leading the Test side for the first time, and he will look to upset England for the first time since 2002, 23 years ago. The five-match Test tour will last 46 days, and India will be challenged at different levels to secure the first series win in the red-ball format since 2007.

England has transformed into a formidable force under the tutelage of head coach Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes' captaincy. ...