India v England: Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley and Gus Atkinson earn first Test call-ups

Gus Atkinson, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir are all uncapped at Test levelDates: 25 January – 11 MarchVenues: Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi & DharamsalaCoverage: Live text commentary on BBC Sport website and app.

Uncapped 20-year-old Somerset off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been named in England’s squad for the five-match Test series against India.

Bashir has only played six first-class matches, having made his debut in June.

Surrey fast bowler Gus Atkinson and Lancashire left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who have represented England in white-ball cricket but are uncapped at Test level, are also included.

The first Test starts in Hyderabad on 25 January.

Batter and vice-captain Ollie Pope and left-arm spinner Jack Leach return to the side after injuries.

Pope dislocated his shoulder in this summer’s second Ashes Test at Lord’s, while Leach missed the entirety of that series with a stress fracture of the back.

Ben Stokes leads the side after undergoing surgery on his left knee following England’s 50-over World Cup campaign.

England Test squad: Ben Stokes (capt), 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, Mark Wood.

Bashir took 10 wickets in his six first-class matches in 2023, and played five games in Somerset’s winning T20 Blast campaign before being called up to the England Lions squad for a training camp in the United Arab Emirates in November and December.

Hartley, 24, made his England one-day international debut against Ireland in September, while Atkinson, 25, made his white-ball debuts in the summer and was part of Jos Buttler’s recent World Cup squad in India.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who was omitted from the Ashes squad, returns to the fold alongside leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, 19, who took seven wickets on his Test debut against Pakistan last year.

Ahmed was called up during the Ashes as injury cover for spinner Moeen Ali, who has retired from Test cricket again, but did not feature.

All-rounder Chris Woakes, player of the series during the Ashes, is not included, while there is also no place for fast bowlers Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts, nor batter Dan Lawrence.

England’s leading Test wicket-taker James Anderson, 41, has retained his place in the pace attack, alongside Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood. Stuart Broad retired after the final Test of the 2-2 Ashes series draw in July.

Ahmed, Atkinson, Pope, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were all part of England’s recent ODI side in the West Indies.

Brook, Atkinson and Ahmed are also involved in the T20 leg, which starts on Tuesday and ends on 21 December.

India, the number one ranked Test side in the world, travel to South Africa for two Tests in December and January.

England drew their last series 2-2 against India at home in 2021-22, but have not won a Test series there since 2012-13.

Fixtures

January

25-29 1st Test, Hyderabad (04:00 GMT)

February

2-6 2nd Test, Visakhapatnam (04:00 GMT)

15-19 3rd Test, Rajkot (04:00 GMT)

23-27 4th Test, Ranchi (04:00 GMT)

March

7-11 5th Test, Dharamsala (04:00 GMT)