England's playing XI for the five-match Test series opener against Team India has been announced. Notably the first Test between India and England will get underway from June 20 at Leeds.
The hosts will be relying on their established opening pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett to set the tone. This duo comes into the series with momentum, having recently put up a match-winning performance in their Test against Zimbabwe last month and will be aiming to continue their successful partnership. Crawley and Duckett have become known for their aggressive approach at the top of the order, often providing England with rapid starts. Individually, both batsmen are in good touch, having each scored a century in the Zimbabwe Test, where they also shared a partnership of over 200 runs for the first wicket.
Duckett, in particular, has displayed remarkable form across all formats, carrying his Test performance into the white-ball series against the West Indies. He formed a strong opening partnership with Jamie Smith in those matches. Crawley, while capable of scoring big hundreds, tends to be an inconsistent player, often following up high scores with low ones. He will be hoping for a solid start in this first Test to build confidence for the remainder of the series.
Following the openers, England boasts an experienced middle order comprising Ollie Pope, the ever-reliable Joe Root, the talented Harry Brook, captain Ben Stokes, wicketkeeper-batsman Jamie Smith, and all-rounder Chris Woakes. Each of these players has demonstrated good form in various formats recently. Joe Root is in exceptional form, highlighted by his match-winning innings in the second ODI against the West Indies, and will be eager to perform well against India. Harry Brook, despite being the white-ball captain, has an impressive record in Test cricket and will be looking to add to his run tally. With Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith coming in at number six and seven respectively, followed by the all-round capabilities of Chris Woakes, England possesses significant batting depth.
In the bowling department, England will be hoping for a strong showing despite the absence of key experienced bowlers like Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. The responsibility of taking early wickets will primarily fall on Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse, aiming to ease the pressure on the bowlers who follow. Spinners Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir are also expected to play crucial roles, particularly when bowling with the older ball. As is their usual strategy, England is expected to field four specialist bowlers, with captain Ben Stokes likely to fill the role of the fifth bowling option.
England's Playing XI:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir