England announces squad for first two Tests against India

LONDON: England have announced a 17-member squad for the first two Tests against India, starting from August 4 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

The home side will see the return of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Johnny Bairstow and Sam Curran to the longest format of the game.

Ben Stokes had to miss the two-match Test series versus New Zealand due to injury but had made a comeback to international action as a captain in the ODI series against Pakistan.

Right-arm pacer Ollie Robinson, who made his Test debut in the New Zealand series has also been included alongside Haseeb Hameed.

The big names not featuring in the first couple of Tests are Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes who are still recovering from an injured elbow and a bruised heel respectively.

Archer has made progress with the injury but his return to Test cricket still remains uncertain, however, is expected to be available later in the series.

England men’s Head Coach, Chris Silverwood, expecting a competitive series against India, said:  “A home Test series against India is one of the most anticipated red-ball series and this promises to be an outstanding five Tests.

“India are a quality team who have shown their ability to get results away from home. We are expecting a highly competitive series and have selected our strongest possible squad.”

“The returns of all-rounders Ben Stokes and Sam Curran provide a balance that allows us to get back to a structure that has been successful in Test cricket.”

Squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood.