Following their 2-3 series defeat in the Youth ODI series against India U-19, England's U-19 team is now preparing to face the same opponents in a two-match Youth Test series, with the first match scheduled to begin on July 12. The England Cricket Board (ECB) has now announced the squad for the first four-day Youth Test, which will be held at Beckenham.
Archie Vaughan, Rocky Flintoff headline England U-19 squad for 1st Youth Test against India U-19
The England Under-19 and India Under-19 men's teams are set to compete in a two-match Test series at the County Ground in Beckenham, following their recent thrilling ODI encounters. These two four-day Test matches are anticipated to showcase promising young talents and offer a glimpse into the future of cricket.
The England's U-19 squad is headlined by Warwickshire's Hamza Shaikh, who has been appointed as the captain, and his teammate Tanzeem Ali. Notably, the squad also includes Rocky Flintoff, representing Lancashire and son of England legend Andrew Flintoff, and Archie Vaughan, playing for Somerset and son of former English wicketkeeper Michael Vaughan. Durham's left-arm pacer, James Minto, has also been included and is expected to have significant opportunities to demonstrate his abilities. Shaikh returns to captain the side, having previously led in the Under-19 series against Sri Lanka. He had missed the subsequent Under-19 series against South Africa due to his selection in the England Lions squad.
The ECB has revealed the squad for the first Test match, which will be played at the County Ground in Beckenham from July 12th to 15th. The squad for the second Test is expected to be announced subsequently. The second Test match is scheduled to take place from July 20th to July 23rd, and it is anticipated that there might be some changes to the squad initially selected for the first Test.
England U-19 squad for 1st Youth Test against India U-19
Hamza Shaikh (Warwickshire – captain), Tazeem Ali (Warwickshire), Jaydn Denly (Kent), Rocky Flintoff (Lancashire), Alex French (Surrey), Alex Green (Leicestershire), Jack Home (Worcestershire), Ben Mayes (Hampshire), Sebastian Morgan (Hampshire), James Minto (Durham), Thomas Rew (Somerset), Aaryan Sawant (Middlesex), Ekansh Singh (Kent), Jay Singh (Yorkshire), Archie Vaughan (Somerset)
Talking about their ODI series, Ayush Mhatre-led India emerged victorious over England in the five-match series with a 3-2 scoreline. The young Indian side secured wins in the first, third, and fourth ODI matches to clinch the series. Following their success in the 50-over format, the Indian team will now aim to replicate their dominance in the upcoming red-ball cricket matches.