England shake up squad for India Test series; Archer eyes return

ENGLAND have named a 14-player squad for the first match of the Rothesay Test Series against India, which is set to begin on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds.

Ben Stokes will lead the squad as captain and Surrey bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton returns to the Test line-up for the first time since earning his sole cap against New Zealand at Headingley in June 2022.

The 31-year-old is still under close medical review after breaking his right little finger during the first One-Day International against the West Indies at Edgbaston last week.

Overton, who scored 97 against New Zealand, could strengthen the lower order batting with Atkinson missing and Chris Woakes still proving his fitness.

Woakes, 36, has been delayed by a bone stress reaction in his ankle and needs to demonstrate his readiness in Friday's (6) England Lions match against India A at Northampton. Having played just one county match for Warwickshire, his participation remains uncertain. He could edge out Sam Cook, who retains his place in the squad after a quiet debut against Zimbabwe.

England's Jamie Overton celebrates after taking the wicket of West Indies' Gudakesh Motie. Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Brydon Carse returns after recovering from a toe injury, adding to England's seam bowling options alongside retained duo Sam Cook and Josh Tongue. Matthew Potts has been overlooked entirely, meaning five seamers will compete for three spots in the final XI.

Jacob Bethell returns to the squad after missing the Zimbabwe Test due to Indian Premier League commitments. The 21-year-old left-hander impressed during England's winter tour of New Zealand, scoring three fifties after his surprise promotion to the crucial position.

However, Ollie Pope's sparkling 171 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge has complicated matters. Captain Ben Stokes had previously backed his vice-captain, dismissing criticism as a "media agenda" following Pope's century. Selector Luke Wright offered no guarantees about Pope keeping the spot, admitting Bethell was "very close" to selection.

Another development concerns Jofra Archer's potential return to Test cricket. The Sussex seamer, who hasn't played first-class cricket since 2021 due to various injuries, is being lined up for the second Test at Edgbaston next month.

Archer will play a County Championship match for Sussex against Durham on June 23, which begins during the first Test. If he proves his fitness, the 30-year-old could make his Test comeback at Birmingham, providing a significant boost to England's bowling attack.

"Like anything with all these bowlers, he's got to keep ticking things off every day with no setbacks," said Wright. "But if all goes well and he gets through that Durham game, then he's available potentially for selection for that second Test."

England are managing several injury concerns, with Mark Wood and Olly Stone expected to miss the entire series. Captain Stokes has abandoned plans to play for the Lions after successfully returning to bowling following hamstring surgery earlier this year.

Surrey's Gus Atkinson was ruled out of selection due to a hamstring injury sustained during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last month.

England will play five Test matches against India over the next couple of months, finishing on August 4 at the Kia Oval in London.

SQUAD: Ben Stokes (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

(with inputs from agencies)