England have named a surprising squad for the first Test against India, with James Anderson being left out and three spinners selected. Mark Wood is the lone pacer while Jack Leach, Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed will comprise the spin department. Hartley will be making his Test debut at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. Joe Root is also a handy off-spinner while there is uncertainty over whether skipper Ben Stokes will take up bowling duties during the Test series.
Playing a three-spinner strategy means there is no place for veteran James Anderson in the XI. Shoaib Bashir, the other spinner in the squad, is yet to travel to India having not received his visa yet. It is learnt that he flew back to the UK from Abu Dhabi, where England's squad had been training, to expedite the process.Jonny Bairstow bats at No.5 in place of Harry Brook who left the tour over the weekend, while Ben Foakes is back as wicketkeeper."I don't necessarily think it's bold or brave, it's just me and Baz (head coach Brendan McCullum) looking at the wicket and picking the XI that we think will give us the best chance," explained Stokes. "That's the XI we've gone with. "It's very exciting for Tom Hartley to make his Test debut. Looking forward to seeing him out there, and captaining him. He's been very impressive in the buildup in Abu Dhabi. "It's a team based around what we think will give us the best chance of winning this game."
England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach
