Tom Hartley is England’s latest Test debutant, having been selected to make his maiden bow in the first Test against India in Hyderabad. Here’s all you need to know about the rookie left-arm spinner.
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England have selected specialist three spinners for the first match of the five-Test series against India, with Hartley lining up alongside Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed. Like Leach, 24-year-old Hartley provides a left-arm orthodox option, turning the ball away from India’s many right-handers. His two previous international caps came in the ODI format against Ireland last year, when England fielded a second-string side without the players in their 2023 World Cup squad. He went wicketless in the only innings he bowled in.
While Hartley’s selection for the India Test series came as a slight surprise, it followed his participation in an England Lions training camp in Abu Dhabi, in which England were looking to fine-tune their red-ball spin options ahead of the series. His time in that camp was cut short when he was selected for England’s white-ball series in the Caribbean, in which he did not play a match.
Prior to his maiden England call-ups, Hartley played ten games for Lancashire in the County Championship over the 2023 summer, taking his tally of first class games up to 20. He has 40 first class wickets at 36.57, including one five-for which came against Surrey in 2022. He also bats regularly at eight in the County Championship, averaging 29.00 with a high score of 73 not out.
Despite gaining his maiden Test call-up before breaking into England’s first-choice white ball team, the majority of Hartley’s domestic experience comes in the Twenty20 format: he’s played 82 matches, and is a regular starter for both Lancashire and Manchester Originals. He bowled the first-ever ball of the men’s Hundred in the first edition of the tournament in 2021.
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Despite his limited experience, Hartley’s selection could offer England with a significant point of difference. At 6ft 4in, he has a high release point and sends the ball through quickly at speeds of between 50 and 60 mph. His angle and style of bowling is seen as England’s best option for selecting a similar type of bowler to Axar Patel, with Rob Key saying that he believes Hartley “will be a real handful out there” following his call-up.
Speaking to Wisden Cricket Monthly ahead of the India series, Hartley said: “The conditions will be in my favour, I bowl similar to what their boys do, so there’s no reason why I should be scared, you’ve just got to bowl at what’s in front of you.
“I’m round about mid-50s mph, but with my height, I can’t really go up and down, my trajectory is normally down just because of my height, but that’s not a bad thing, it just makes me bowl that little bit quicker. Smaller spinners can take the pace off and give it that little bit more flight, but I’ve realised what I am and you’ve just got to work with it.”
Ahead of the start of play in Hyderabad, Hartley was awarded his England cap by Michael Atherton.
