India underwent a slump in form in Test Cricket recently. They shockingly were whitewashed by New Zealand 3-0 at home, followed by 1-3 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavakar Trophy. This resulted in the team failing to qualify for the WTC 2025 final. The team next returns to red-ball cricket from June 20 when they travel to England to take them on in a five-match Test Series. Before the series starts, India are now set to take a massive move to prepare for the series

According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, India A are set to play England Lions in three four-day matches in England. The matches will take place in the period between the end of the IPL on May 25 and the start of the England series on June 20. This will be a chance for players looking to make an entry into India's Test squad a chance to impress.

There are doubts over the quality of the England Lions squad as the T20 Blast, England's premier T20 domestic tournament, is set o be played during that period as well. The BCCI, however, is confident that the ECB will reciprocate as the Lions were given a strong opposition when India A faced them on their shadow tour to the country when England played in India in 2023/24.

The BCCI has an arrangement with ECB and Cricket Australia (CA), wherein shadow tours are organized when India travel to England and Australia, or when both teams travel to India. Before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India A played three games against Australia A, where members of the main squad like Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Devdutt Padikkal featured.

When England Lions played India A last year, players like Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Sarfaraz Khan, who later went on to feature for the Team India side in Test matches later in the year.

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