England have several decisions to make over their final XI for the first Test against India, which starts on Thursday, January 25 in Hyderabad. Three Wisden writers have their say on the side Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum should pick.

England’s last Test was almost six months ago, with Stuart Broad signing off in style by levelling the Ashes at The Oval. The retiring great isn’t the only player involved then who won’t be playing in India. Moeen Ali, England’s all-purpose fill-in for the series, has re-retired, and won’t be answering any SOS calls this time. Harry Brook has flown home for personal reasons. Chris Woakes’ overseas record has seen him go from Player of the Series to not selected.

England’s squad includes three newbies – Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir in the spin department, and express quick Gus Atkinson – while Jack Leach, Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed and Ollie Pope have all been recalled. Dan Lawrence has also been added to the squad. Bashir has been ruled out of the first Test due to visa issues.

Wisden’s writers pick their England XIs for the first Test v India

Jo Harman – Wisden Cricket Monthly magazine editor

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Jonny Bairstow
Ben Stokes (c)
Ben Foakes (wk)
Rehan Ahmed
Ollie Robinson
Mark Wood
Jack Leach

With Harry Brook withdrawing from the tour – at least for now – due to personal reasons, the top seven more or less picks itself. Ben Stokes’ inability to bowl as he makes his way back from surgery has upset the balance of the side meaning that Root in effect becomes the all-rounder. The choice then is whether England play to their strengths and pick a third seamer (a trap they’ve fallen into on previous tours of India) or adapt to the conditions and select a second specialist spinner. History suggests they should do the latter so I’ve gone for Rehan Ahmed, who may well end up bowling fewer overs than Root but could prove invaluable in hoovering up India’s tail. As for the seamers, Wood’s extra pace is essential for England to start the series with a bang and Robinson gets the nod over Anderson as their line-and-length merchant. Going into a Test with only two seamers, both of whom have chequered fitness records, is far from ideal. But England don’t have any room for manoeuvre.

"He can not only do things other keepers can't but also make them look incredibly easy."

Ben Stokes, speaking to reporters in India.#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/mDYldi563U

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 23, 2024

Ben Gardner – Wisden.com managing editor

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Jonny Bairstow
Ben Stokes (c)
Ben Foakes (wk)
Rehan Ahmed
Mark Wood
Jack Leach
James Anderson

Harry Brook’s absence weakens England, but it does at least make picking a top seven easier. History suggests Dan Lawrence will get a nod at some point, but not yet. Below Ben Foakes however – and what a joy it will be to see him back – Jack Leach is the only certainty. A three-seam attack seems less likely by the day, but a three-spin attack isn’t impossible. Shoaib Bashir’s visa issues ruling him out of the first Test is a scandal, but it was always tracking towards a toss-up between Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed. The former would see England mirror India’s structure, if you count Joe Root as the off-spinner, but I hope Rehan, the unfazed teen, gets the nod, with his googlies complementing Leach’s left-armers. On the seam side, James Anderson looks mean and lean, and Mark Wood can put it up ‘em.

Yas Rana – Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast host

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Jonny Bairstow
Ben Stokes (c)
Ben Foakes (wk)
Tom Hartley
Ollie Robinson
Jack Leach
James Anderson

Following the news that Harry Brook has returned home for personal reasons, the top seven picks itself. There are murmurings that conditions are so spin-friendly that England are considering fielding a sole seamer but I think England should remember their own strengths and not be totally beholden to the environment they encounter. Anderson and Robinson were outstanding in Pakistan last winter and the drier it is, the more that reverse swing will come into play. They are England’s best two seamers when there’s any sort of movement. Leach is a guaranteed pick and while Ahmed is the technical incumbent as the second spinner having played in Karachi in 2022, I would lean towards Hartley. Wrist-spinners, especially those similar to Ahmed in style, have seldom succeeded in India. Hartley is exactly the type of slow bowler England think should succeed in India; let’s see if the theory plays out in practice.