Following impressive series victories against India at home and Sri Lanka away, England have quietly assembled a strong squad for the five-day format. With the emergence of Sam Curran, Ben Foakes and Jack Leach, plus the remodelled Jos Buttler and the re-engaged Adil Rashid, England have given themselves a real selection headache.

It isn’t all rosy, though. There are still question marks at the top of the order, and whether Bairstow is the long-term solution at first drop, while finding the right balance in the bowling unit appears to require constant tinkering – though England perhaps just have the luxury of selecting horses for horses.

Just four Tests away from the Ashes, Ed Smith, Joe Root and Trevor Bayliss will be hoping that any lingering doubts on certain positions are resolved during this three-Test series in the Caribbean. Here, wisden.com writers pick their England XI for the first Test at the Kensington Oval, which starts on Wednesday, January 23.

Taha Hashim, wisden.com staff writer

1. Jennings
2. Burns
3. Bairstow
4. Root (c)
5. Buttler
6. Stokes
7. Moeen
8. Foakes (wk)
9. Curran
10. Rashid
11. Anderson

Such was England’s all-round excellence in Sri Lanka, a number of deserving names miss out on selection in this XI. While Jack Leach’s left-arm twirlers were potent in the subcontinent, there will be less necessity for spin in Bridgetown, and if anyone is to partner Moeen Ali, it should be Adil Rashid. While he remains hit-and-miss with his leg break, Yasir Shah’s nine wickets on the same pitch two years ago should serve as some inspiration. Despite Stuart Broad’s hat-trick in England’s opening warm-up fixture – he seems to have a knack for the landmark – Sam Curran’s left-arm seam, in accompaniment with his blistering power down the order is too delightful to ignore. It was variety that served England well in Sri Lanka, and a similar formula in the Caribbean should grant them another away win.