England have named three uncapped bowlers in their squad for the five match Test series in India which begins in January 2024.
Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.
Pace bowler Gus Atkinson has been given his maiden Test call up along with spinner Tom Hartley, while 20-year-old off spinner Shoaib Bashir has received his first international selection. Rehan Ahmed has also returned to the squad after his successful Test debut in Pakistan last year, in which he took a five-wicket haul.
Ollie Pope and Jack Leach are also back in the Test match squad after both spending time on the sidelines with injury. Leach suffered a stress fracture before the 2023 Ashes series while Pope dislocated his shoulder during the second Test against Australia at Lord’s.
Atkinson’s call-up follows his inclusion in England’s 2023 World Cup squad as well as his inclusion in the West Indies series. He played four matches in England’s disastrous World Cup defence, taking six wickets in the tournament. In the Caribbean, Atkinson picked up two wickets in each of England’s three ODI matches.
Hartley played for England in their ODI series against Ireland at the end of the 2023 summer, in which they were without those players picked for the World Cup. He joins Leach as a left-arm finger spinner in the group and has taken 40 wickets across 20 first-class appearances at an average of 36.57.
Bashir comes into the squad having played only six first-class matches and signed his first professional contract with Somerset last year. In those appearances he has taken 10 wickets at an average of 67.0.
Another takeaway from the squad is a place for Ben Foakes, who hasn’t played a Test match since England’s tour of New Zealand earlier this year.
England’s series in India will begin on January 25 in Hyderabad, and conclude in Dharamsala in early March 2023.
England squad vs India: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.
