England name squad for first Test against India

England have announced their squad for the first Test against India, set to begin on June 20 at Headingley. Fast bowler Jamie Overton has made a surprise return after Gus Atkinson was ruled out due to a hamstring injury.

Overton, who last played for England in 2022 at the same venue, had impressed with a quickfire 97 and key wickets in his debut against New Zealand. Despite recently breaking his little finger in an ODI against the West Indies and limited red-ball action due to injuries and IPL duties, he has been selected over Matthew Potts as seam-bowling cover.

The squad also sees the return of Jacob Bethell, Chris Woakes, and Brydon Carse. All three missed the recent Zimbabwe Test series — Bethell due to IPL commitments and the other two because of minor injuries.

Bethell’s comeback adds to England’s selection headache at the top of the order. The left-hander had an excellent debut series in New Zealand, scoring three fifties at No. 3. However, both Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope hit centuries against Zimbabwe, which may help them keep their spots for now.

With Atkinson joining the list of injured pacers — including Mark Wood, Olly Stone, and Jofra Archer — England’s fast-bowling options have been stretched. Archer is expected to be fit by the second Test, while Josh Tongue, who missed the 2024 season due to injury, is back and will play for the England Lions against India A this week alongside Woakes.

Sam Cook, who debuted in the Zimbabwe series, retains his place but is likely to begin the India series as a backup option.

The squad has seen major changes since England’s 4-1 defeat in India 18 months ago. James Anderson has retired, and key players such as Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, and Ollie Robinson have been dropped.

India are also going through a transition, with stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin retired. Shubman Gill will lead the team for the first time. Some Indian players are already in the UK playing for India A, while the rest of the squad is expected to arrive by Friday.

England squad for the first Test against India:

Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.