Wisden writers pick their England XIs for the first Test v India

England have several decisions to make over their final XI for the first Test against India, which starts on Thursday, January 25 in Hyderabad. Three Wisden writers have their say on the side Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum should pick.

England’s last Test was almost six months ago, with Stuart Broad signing off in style by levelling the Ashes at The Oval. The retiring great isn’t the only player involved then who won’t be playing in India. Moeen Ali, England’s all-purpose fill-in for the series, has re-retired, and won’t be answering any SOS calls this time. Harry Brook has flown home for personal reasons. Chris Woakes’ overseas record has seen him go from Player of the Series to not selected.

England’s squad includes three newbies – Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir in the spin department, and express quick Gus Atkinson – while Jack Leach, Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed and Ollie Pope have all been recalled. Dan Lawrence has also been added to the squad. Bashir has been ruled out of the first Test due to visa issues.

Wisden’s writers pick their England XIs for the first Test v India

Jo Harman – Wisden Cricket Monthly magazine editor

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Jonny Bairstow
Ben Stokes (c)
Ben Foakes (wk)
Rehan Ahmed
Ollie Robinson
Mark Wood
Jack Leach

With Harry Brook withdrawing from the tour – at least for now – due to personal reasons, the top seven more or less picks itself. Ben Stokes’ inability to bowl as he makes his way back from surgery has upset the balance of the side meaning that Root in effect becomes the all-rounder. The choice then is whether England play to their strengths and pick a third seamer (a trap they’ve fallen into on previous tours of India) or adapt to the conditions and select a second specialist spinner. History suggests they should do the latter so I’ve gone for Rehan Ahmed, who may well end up bowling fewer overs than Root but could prove invaluable in hoovering up India’s tail. As for the seamers, Wood’s extra pace is essential for England to start the series with a bang and Robinson gets the nod over Anderson as their line-and-length merchant. Going into a Test with only two seamers, both of whom have chequered fitness records, is far from ideal. But England don’t have any room for manoeuvre.

"He can not only do things other keepers can't but also make them look incredibly easy."

Ben Stokes, speaking to reporters in India.#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/mDYldi563U

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 23, 2024

Ben Gardner – Wisden.com managing editor

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Jonny Bairstow
Ben Stokes (c)
Ben Foakes (wk)
Rehan Ahmed
Mark Wood
Jack Leach
James Anderson

Harry Brook’s absence weakens England, but it does at least make picking a top seven easier. History suggests Dan Lawrence will get a nod at some point, but not yet. Below Ben Foakes however – and what a joy it will be to see him back – Jack Leach is the only certainty. A three-seam attack seems less likely by the day, but a three-spin attack isn’t impossible. Shoaib Bashir’s visa issues ruling him out of the first Test is a scandal, but it was always tracking towards a toss-up between Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed. The former would see England mirror India’s structure, if you count Joe Root as the off-spinner, but I hope Rehan, the unfazed teen, gets the nod, with his googlies complementing Leach’s left-armers. On the seam side, James Anderson looks mean and lean, and Mark Wood can put it up ‘em.

Yas Rana – Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast host

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Jonny Bairstow
Ben Stokes (c)
Ben Foakes (wk)
Tom Hartley
Ollie Robinson
Jack Leach
James Anderson

Following the news that Harry Brook has returned home for personal reasons, the top seven picks itself. There are murmurings that conditions are so spin-friendly that England are considering fielding a sole seamer but I think England should remember their own strengths and not be totally beholden to the environment they encounter. Anderson and Robinson were outstanding in Pakistan last winter and the drier it is, the more that reverse swing will come into play. They are England’s best two seamers when there’s any sort of movement. Leach is a guaranteed pick and while Ahmed is the technical incumbent as the second spinner having played in Karachi in 2022, I would lean towards Hartley. Wrist-spinners, especially those similar to Ahmed in style, have seldom succeeded in India. Hartley is exactly the type of slow bowler England think should succeed in India; let’s see if the theory plays out in practice.

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Watch: Babar Azam crafts match-winning half-century to rescue BPL side from 39-6

Babar Azam scored an unbeaten 56 in 49 balls in his first game of the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League against Sylhet Strikers today (January 23) after his side had been reduced to 39-6.

Babar, who was pushed down to No.3 in the recent T20I series in New Zealand for the first time since 2021, returned to open for his team Rangpur Riders in the BPL. Having played the last game against the Black Caps on Sunday, Babar flew down to Bangladesh immediately, making himself available for Tuesday’s clash.

After Sylhet posted 120-8 in the first innings, Rangpur were rocked by some brilliance from Dushan Hemantha. The Sri Lanka leg-spinner picked up three wickets in his first over, reducing the side to 39-6. It was here that Babar’s experience came to the fore: He batted with caution, scoring at run-a-ball for most parts whilst forming a solid foundation with Azmatullah Omarzai.

Babar reached his fifty in 45 deliveries with a four, helping Rangpur wade through the threat before the two batters finished off the game with three fours and a six for their first win in the edition. The former Pakistan skipper hit six fours in his innings.

Recently, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar’s opening partner in T20Is for three years, suggested that breaking their pair “hurt” Pakistan after the side slumped to a 4-1 defeat against New Zealand. Babar, who batted at No.3, scored 57, 66, 58, 19 and 13 in the five games at a strike rate of 142.

Watch Babar’s innings in the BPL here:

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You might see Joe Root open bowling – Ben Stokes ready to rip up rulebook again

Ben Stokes is weighing up an England debut for spinner Tom Hartley in Thursday’s first Test against India and is even considering throwing the new ball to Joe Root as he tries to find a winning formula in Hyderabad.

England have promised to do things differently as they look to unseat a team who have lost just three of their past 46 Tests on home soil and captain Stokes remains fully committed to pushing the boundaries of ‘Bazball’.

Stokes is not yet fit to bowl after recovering from knee surgery and his confirmation that Ben Foakes would return as wicketkeeper and bat at seven means there are only four bowling slots to play with.

Ben Stokes (right) has recovered from knee surgery (Mahesh Kumar A/AP).

While James Anderson and Mark Wood are still likely to share pace duties, the possibility of going all in on spin by picking Hartley as well as the established Jack Leach and teenager Rehan Ahmed is being openly discussed.

So too, improbably, is the idea of using Root’s part-time off-breaks as a wildcard at the start of the innings.

“It would be a complete and utter ‘gut’ thing, as most of my decisions like that are,” said Stokes.

“You might even see Rooty taking the new ball, depending on what I feel. If (left-hander) Yashasvi Jaiswal opens the batting, you might see Rooty opening the bowling because it’s spinning away from the bat.

“When picking the team it’s about what you think is going to give you the best chance of winning and who is going to offer you more in certain conditions.

“India is one of those places where you’ve got to think about selection a lot more than anywhere else in the world because of what you can get from the wicket.”

Hartley was identified as a player who could cause problems with his height and skiddy trajectory and Stokes appears increasingly tempted to put the selectors’ hunch to the test.

“I’ve done plenty of tours here and think I would have some idea around what a bowler can look like here who will be successful,” he said.

“Tom is someone who’s obviously very tall, he bowls at a very difficult pace to be able to handle out here and he’s someone who gets a lot of natural variation. In India that is sometimes the hardest thing to face.”

Tom Hartley could be handed a Test debut (Mike Egerton/PA).

On a personal level, Stokes is feeling in good order after undergoing surgery in November to remedy a long-standing left knee problem. While precise details have been vague in the past, Stokes confirmed he had stitches in his meniscus and a “big bone spur” removed.

He has since lost around 10 kilograms in a bid to ease the pressure on the joint and, although he is not planning to bowl competitively again until the summer, hopes to be conquering the fitness struggles which have dogged him for at least two years.

“Obviously the less weight you’re carrying, the less weight you’ve got going through your knee and the quicker your recovery is,” he explained.

“I’ve worked very hard to get myself into this condition. Hopefully it is something that will give me a little bit longer. We’re getting to that point you know, I’m 32 now, sport and everything like that isn’t here forever. I want to play for England as long as I possibly can. The older you get, the harder you work.

“I think it’s allowed me to progress a lot quicker than we actually thought. It’s been a long one, but something that I’m proud of myself for, with how hard I’ve worked to get into this position.

“Surgery is always the last option. Some can go very well, but they can also sometimes not go too well, set people back even further and potentially even end careers.”

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Tom Hartley: My carrom ball is almost there – Indian pitches should suit me

Ahead of England’s Test series against India, Tom Hartley has revealed that he has been working on a ‘carrom ball’ variation.

Hartley, a left-arm spinner who plays for Lancashire in county cricket, is one of three uncapped players called up for the five-Test tour of India. He was asked ahead of the series if he had been working on anything in particular.

“I’ve got a ‘carrom’ ball,” he told Wisden Cricket Monthly. “It’s almost there. It’s easy to bowl it in the nets, I’ve bowled it a few times in county cricket and a bit in white ball, but with the style of play that England are after, given a chance, hopefully I’ll flick it out for yer…”

Aside from his new variation, Hartley hopes India’s surfaces will suit his natural attributes. “The conditions will be in my favour, I bowl similar to what their boys do, so there’s no reason why I should be scared, you’ve just got to bowl at what’s in front of you.

“I’m round about mid-50s mph, but with my height, I can’t really go up and down, my trajectory is normally down just because of my height, but that’s not a bad thing, it just makes me bowl that little bit quicker. Smaller spinners can take the pace off and give it that little bit more flight, but I’ve realised what I am and you’ve just got to work with it.

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“I’ve only been to India once but the pitches just allow you to fire it in, you don’t even have to think about flight or guile or anything like that. You just let the pitch do the work. In county cricket the pitches are a lot flatter, so spinners have to use their wits a bit more, whereas in India you’re the one who’s meant to be in control. If you’re firing it in and hitting the seam, you’ll be ragging it past the edge.”

Tom Hartley is the third uncapped player to be called up to the England Men’s Test squad for the tour of India

Congratulations to the @lancscricket bowler! pic.twitter.com/yHmAGLFjli

— County Championship (@CountyChamp) December 11, 2023

Hartley is the second-most experienced frontline spin option in England’s squad, having played 20 first-class games for Lancashire, taking 40 wickets at 36.57.

The 24-year-old recently signed a contract extension to keep him at Old Trafford until at least 2026, though will face stiff competition for a spot in the 2024 campaign, with Lancs signing Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon on a season-long deal.

What is a carrom ball?

The carrom ball is believed to have been first bowled by post-Second World War Australia leg-spinner Jack Iverson. Rangana Herath, who claimed 433 Test wickets for Sri Lanka, is one of the first left-armers to master the delivery.

Getting its name from Indian tabletop game ‘Carrom’, the ball involves using your thumb and middle finger to flick or squeeze the ball out of the hand, and can turn the opposite way to a spinner’s stock delivery or hold its line.

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Virat Kohli’s absence decides India’s XI for first England Test

India’s playing XI for the first Test match against England is as good as final after Virat Kohli opted out of the first two games.

India named a 16-member squad for the first two Tests of the five-match series against England, starting January 25. They had to leave out the injured Mohammed Shami, while neither Umesh Yadav nor Jaydev Unadkat was considered.

At the same time, two uncapped cricketers – Madhya Pradesh fast bowler Avesh Khan and Uttar Pradesh wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel – got breaks. Kohli has now opted out of the first two matches.

Kohli looked in great form in South Africa, making 38, 76, 46, and 12 in a very low-scoring series. While India will miss him, his absence will make selecting the XI for the first Test easier.

Who were the certainties for the first Test match?

India have gone in with three spinners, two fast bowlers, and five batters for home Test matches for some time now, and there was no reason for them to change that team structure.

R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja would have been the first two names on the team sheet, while vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are the two most obvious choices as speedsters.

Curiously, among the batters, captain Rohit Sharma and, when he was available, Kohli, were the only certainties. The confusion was for a string of reasons.

India had to pick four out of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and a wicketkeeper – KS Bharat or Jurel. Since Rahul kept wicket in South Africa, there was also a possibility of him reprising that role. That way, India could have fitted in all four batters.

However, India might have preferred Bharat’s years of experience behind the stumps in Indian conditions. Last week, the Andhra man helped his own cause with an unbeaten fourth-innings hundred for India A against the England Lions. Jurel – more of a keeper than Rahul, and more of a batter than Bharat – could have been a middle-ground option.

Had they done that, India would have had to pick three of the four batters. With a magnificent hundred two Test matches ago, Rahul would likely have played, as, surely, would have Iyer, who thrives against spin.

Between Gill, who has done little of note at home, and Jaiswal, who is yet to play a Test match here, India were likely to have backed the latter, more so because he is a left-hander. Rahul, a specialist opener, would have moved up the order either way.

Had they played Bharat, Axar Patel’s superior batting abilities would have almost certainly guaranteed him a spot ahead of Kuldeep Yadav. Less likely was India playing four bowlers, but it would have allowed them to play all the batters and a specialist keeper.

What will be India’s XI for the first Test now?

Kohli’s withdrawal will allow India to pick all four of Jaiswal, Gill, Iyer, and Rahul. That also makes Bharat a certainty and, in turn, Axar. It is unlikely that any of Jurel, Avesh, Kuldeep, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep, or Kohli’s yet-to-be-named replacement will make it to the XI.

India’s likely XI for the first Test against England: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

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U19 World Cup round-up: Australia survive scare, little brothers stand out

All 16 teams have played at least one game in the 2024 men’s under-19 World Cup and here are the talking points from the first round.

Ubaid Shah’s four-wicket haul

Ubaid, Naseem Shah’s younger brother, registered 4-26 against Afghanistan, breathing fire with his pace in the innings. Defending 285, Ubaid struck in the second over, dismissing No.3 Jamshid Zadran and came back to send back Hassan Eisakhil for 19 as Afghanistan were reduced to 42-3.

His most notable dismissal was that of Arab Gul Momand. The third ball of his sixth over was a fuller delivery on the off stump that nipped back into the batter. Momand failed to react in time and was stuck in his crease as the ball shattered his stumps.

Ubaid, who had taken four wickets in the U19 Asia Cup semi-final against the UAE last month, is also known for his aggressive demeanour. In the same match, he did not hesitate to give the UAE skipper Ayaan Afzal Khan a big send-off. Overall, the 17-year-old has 18 wickets in seven under-19 ODIs at an average of 16.05.

Rehan Ahmed’s brother Farhan’s economical spell

15-year-old Farhan, an off-spinner, conceded 22 runs in his ten overs, picking up three wickets to reduce Scotland to 174 in their first innings. Coming in as the first change bowler, Rehan gave away 14 runs in his first five overs and was even more stringy in the next five where he had figures of 2-8.

India-Bangladesh players at it again

Over the years, India and Bangladesh cricket matches have garnered attention for their sizzling rivalry, with both the senior (men’s and women’s) teams along with junior players being involved in various conflicts in the past.

On Saturday, a familiar visual greeted the viewers as Bangladesh bowler Ariful Islam seemingly had a heated word with India captain Uday Saharan after the latter attempted a second run. Ariful was seen uttering a few words to Saharan, who seemed dismayed at the bowler’s antics.

The two were involved in a stare-off before a few other Bangladesh fielders joined in to have a go. They had to be separated by the on-field umpire in the end.

West Indies fall agonisingly short in remarkable run chase

South Africa posted a formidable 285-9 on the board in the second match of the World Cup, led by a blistering 38-ball 65 from Dewan Marais. In reply, West Indies raced away to 73 in the first ten overs, but lost five wickets in the process. Three of those were picked up by Kwena Maphaka, who got swing and pace, dismissing Adrian Weird and No.3 Joshua Dorne with yorkers while also getting Stephan Pascal.

No.6 Jewel Andrew, however, steadied the ship and blazed 130 runs in only 96 balls to keep the West Indies in the hunt. He stitched together a 117-run stand, in which Nathan Sealy contributed only 33 before being run out. The lower order contributed as well, with Tarrique Edward and Nathan Edward proving to be handy partners.

At 250-7 with 35 runs to get in 11 overs, the West Indies were well in the game, but Maphaka bowled another yorker to send back Nathan, signaling the end. West Indies were dismissed in the next four balls, their last three wickets falling in seven balls.

Zimbabwe undone by  stiff DLS target

Zimbabwe dismissed Sri Lanka for 204 with the innings defined by pinpoint accurate bowling. Kohl Eksteen was the wrecker-in-chief with three scalps upfront, reducing Sri Lanka to 12-3 while Anesu Kamuriwo created pressure at the other end, conceding only 12 runs in his seven overs.

Dinura Kalupahana was the sole warrior for Sri Lanka, scoring 60 in 55 balls while six batters scored in single digits. From 88-5, Sri Lanka reached 168-5 but they failed to carry on and were dismissed for 204 in 48.3 overs.

In reply, Zimbabwe were reduced to 30-3 in 13 overs but with seven wickets in hand and 175 to get, it was still their game. Then rain came, and they were set a stiff DLS target of 129 in 22 overs. Zimbabwe needed to chase 99 in nine overs, a task that proved difficult as they were bundled out for 89 after Malsha Tharupathi picked up four wickets.

Australia survive Namibia scare

Namibia were dismissed for 91 against Australia on January 22 (today), a target that was not deemed tough for the Hugh Weibgen-led side. The fact that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties was displayed once again as Australia stumbled, falling from 13-1 to 57-5 as Namibia sensed an opportunity.

Led by Jack Bracewell’s three-for, Namibia tightened the screws on the Australians but a calm 39 by Weibgen averted disaster. The bowlers were expensive in the end as they failed to get their lines right, allowing Australia to escape with a four-wicket win in the end.

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IND vs ENG Test squad: Full team lists and injury updates for India v England 2024

India will host England for five Test matches from January 25. Here is the squad for each side for the IND vs ENG Tests 2024, including full team lists and injury updates.

The last time England toured India in 2020-21, they started with a 227-run victory before capitulating in the subsequent three Tests to go down 1-3 in the series.

For the hosts, 16 players under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy were announced to take on the visitors for the first two Tests. Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jarel was the only fresh face in the group. Mohammed Shami missed out on selection as he is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the World Cup. Rohit’s deputy, Jasprit Bumrah, will spearhead India’s fast-bowling attack with support from Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar.

In a blow for India, Virat Kohli has opted out of the first two Tests of the series citing “personal reasons“.

Meanwhile, England named a 16-member squad led by Ben Stokes with three uncapped players – fast bowler Gus Atkinson and finger-spinners Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir. Teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed also returned to the Test fold after claiming a five-wicket haul on his debut in Pakistan last December. Star batter Harry Brook has returned home from India for personal reasons. Dan Lawrence was called up as Brook’s replacement.

While Ollie Pope and Jack Leach are also back in the Test squad after spending time on the sidelines with injuries, Ben Foakes, who hasn’t played a Test match since England toured New Zealand early in 2023, earned a recall.

IND vs ENG Tests 2024 squad: Full team lists for India v England Tests 2024

India Test squad (first two Tests): Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli (opted out), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Avesh Khan

England Test squad: Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood

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