Sam Curran, Mark Wood and Jonny Bairstow have all been rested from the England squad for the first two games of the upcoming Test series in India.

Their exclusions are part of England’s rotation policy for this winter, with the intention being to give all their all-format players a rest at some point. All three played in England’s win in the first Test in Sri Lanka and have been named in the XI for the second Test, which starts on January 22nd.

Three first-choice players absent for the Sri Lanka series will all return to face India. Rory Burns missed the Sri Lanka tour to attend the birth of his first child and Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes were both rested. Ollie Pope has not been named in the squad, but will continue his recovery from a shoulder injury in India and be added to the squad when passed fit.

Those are the only changes to the England squad currently 1-0 up against Sri Lanka, meaning the three players not set to feature have all been retained. Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes both had their preparations disrupted by the former’s positive Covid-19 test, while Olly Stone, an out-and-out speedster, is the other.

Jos Buttler will leave India after the first Test, meaning Ben Foakes is in line to add to his five Test caps from the second Test onwards.

The reserve group for the series remains the same, with the exception of Craig Overton returning home.

England’s Test series against India begins on Friday, February 5.

England Test squad for first two India Tests: Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

Reserves: James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.