England selects three spinners for their playing XI against India in Hyderabad for the first Test; Tom Hartley makes his debut
The starting eleven for the first Test of a five-match series against India was announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday.
The three spinners in the Ben Stokes-led eleven are Tom Hartley, who is making his debut, Jack Leach, and Rehan Ahmed.
The only other specialist pacer who will be with Stokes is Mark Wood.
First Test England XI: 1. Zak Crawley, 2. Ollie Pope, 3. Ben Duckett 4. Joe Root 5. Bairstow, Jonny 6. England captain Ben Stokes 7. Ben Foakes 8. Rehan Ahmed 9. Jack Leach, 10. Mark Wood, and 11. Tom Hartley
James Anderson, a really skilled pacer, is traveling with England, but he hasn’t been given any consideration for the first Test, which the visitors have previously been expecting to be played on a surface that will be good for spin bowling.
Stokes is hopeful that Wood’s ability to regularly bowl at 90 mph will be used into an England weapon.
When you travel with a single seamer, impact is what you want. Woody is an impact bowler with speed, and his 90-mile reverse swing will be a tool we can use, Stokes said the reporters on the eve of the match in Hyderabad.
