The youngster has been in excellent form with top performances in the recent series against West Indies
England have surprisingly left out young all-rounder Jacob Bethell for the first Test against India beginning on Friday at Headingley.
The Ben Stokes-led team welcomed back veteran seamer Chris Woakes into the playing XI announced on Wednesday. Woakes was out with an ankle injury in December last year and required surgery.
The 36-year-old recently played the second game between India A and England Lions in Northampton and claimed 3-60 and 2-43.
Since returning from a successful Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Bethell’s all-round consistency only improved as he scored a crucial 82 in the first ODI against West Indies and then starred in the T20I series with scores of 23 not out, 26 off 10 balls and 36 not out off 16 balls. England swept the series 3-0.
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The Leeds Test will also mark the return of pacer Josh Tongue whose career has been plagued by constant injuries. Tongue had missed the entirety of 2024 and more than half of 2023 season due to a series of injuries and health issues. The 27-year-old tore his hamstring during The Hundred 2023 just after returning from an aggravated pectoral muscle injury.
In the absence of senior pacers Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson, England have picked Tongue following his return to the national team in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe recently.
Another speedster Brydon Carse, who made his debut against Pakistan last year, is the third frontline pacer in the team. The Headingley Test will be Carse’s first Test on home soil after playing five overseas matches in Pakistan and New Zealand.
Skipper Stokes will be the fourth fast-bowling option while Shoaib Bashir is the only frontline spinner in the side.
The young off-spinner starred in England’s win over Zimbabwe with figures of 3-62 and 6-81. Former captain Joe Root is the part-time spin option.
The top and middle-order are unchanged from the Zimbabwe game in Nottingham with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett opening the innings with Ollie Pope at No.3 and Root at No.4, followed by vice-captain Harry Brook and Stokes.
Zak Crawley, Ben Ducket, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
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