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England Men's selection panel on Monday named a 16-player squad for the five-Test series against India in January next year, featuring four spinners and three uncapped players.
Captain Ben Stokes will lead a new-look England Test team for the series in India next year. The first Test of the series will be played in Hyderabad from January 25 while the fifth and final Test will be held in Dharamshala and series will conclude on March 11. "The squad includes three uncapped players at Test level with Surrey quick Gus Atkinson joined by off-spinners Tom Hartley (Lancashire) and Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)," the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in an official statement. Atkinson claimed 20 wickets in five County Championship matches last summer at an average of 20.20 as Surrey claimed back-to-back titles. Hartley and Bashir were both part of the England Lions squad that trained in the United Arab Emirates last month. They were joined in the UAE by vice-captain Ollie Pope and Jack Leach to step up their preparations as they returned to Test duty following injury. Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed returns to the Test squad after claiming a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Pakistan last December. The absence of Chris Woakes, Liam Dawson, and Will Jacks was significant. In India, James Anderson will lead the pace assault, with uncapped Gus Atkinson promoted from the limited-overs squad. The other pacers in the squad are Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was called up after being left out of the Ashes squad earlier this year. Jonny Bairstow is the team's other wicketkeeper. Ollie Pope and Leach are also back from injury. England Test squad: 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 and Mark Wood. (ANI)
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