Moeen Ali looks set to play his first home Test since 2019 later this week, with England captain Joe Root declaring the all-rounder as a “great contender” to feature at Lord’s against India.

Included in England’s squad on Tuesday morning, Moeen is an all-round option who can help balance the XI in the continued absence of Ben Stokes – it could well be that the off-spinner lines-up at No.7 where he averages 37 with the bat in Test cricket after 31 innings.

Here’s a look at what playing Moeen at No.7 could mean for the rest of the England line-up:

Five frontline bowlers

Without Stokes, England have positioned their wicketkeeper at No.7 in their three Tests so far this summer and fielded four frontline bowlers, all of them quicks. The obvious benefit in including Moeen at No.7 is that it allows for a spinner to come into the side without there being a major hindrance to the side’s batting depth. Beyond that average of 37, No.7 is also where Moeen has hit three of his five Test hundreds.

Jos Buttler at No.6

Moeen featuring at No.7 would lead to Jos Buttler moving to No.6. With Buttler recording scores of 0 and 17 at Trent Bridge, this may seem like an odd time for a promotion, but No.6 is where the wicketkeeper has enjoyed his best moments in the Test game. After 21 knocks there, Buttler has 979 runs at an average of 51.52 (that average shifts to 77.16 when only taking into account his eight knocks since the start of last summer).

A middle-order conundrum

With Root at No.4 and Buttler at No.6, the key question in the middle order would be at No.5. While Jonny Bairstow didn’t put up a statement score in the role at Trent Bridge, he still impressed head coach Chris Silverwood. “He’s in a really good place at the moment and I was pleased with how he performed,” Silverwood said on Monday. A possible return for Ollie Pope from injury poses complications, however, and it could be that only one of Dan Lawrence, Bairstow and Pope slots into England’s XI at Lord’s should Moeen feature at No.7. That being said, with England’s top order continuing to struggle, could it be that one of Pope or Bairstow finds themselves at No.3?

What next for Jack Leach?

England’s leading wicket-taker last winter, Jack Leach is yet to play a Test this summer and the return of Moeen means that the long wait is likely to continue. Like Moeen, the left-arm spinner has not played a  Test in England since the 2019 Ashes and it is becoming more and more difficult to see his route into the side at home – unless conditions scream out for spin – while a quick-bowling all-rounder who bats in the top seven is absent.

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