England announced their playing XI for the first Test against India which will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, from January 25 to 29.
Ben Stokes will lead the side as England will play their first red-ball match since Ashes 2023 where they made a comeback from 2-0 behind to level the series 2-2, as one match had ended without any result due to rain.
Anticipating the slow pitch and favourable conditions, Stokes opted to go with fours spinners and only one pacer, Mark Wood.
Harry Brook ruled himself out for the series citing personal reasons which paved the way for Ben Foakes, who will play as a wicketkeeper while Jonny Bairstow will take the role as a specialist batter in the middle order.
England playing XI
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pop, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach
India have not yet announced their playing XI as Rohit Sharma is finding the perfect squad to take on the field in Hyderabad to continue their flawless red-ball record at home.
It must be noted that India’s Virat Kohli withdrew from the first two Tests citing personal reasons. On the other hand, England’s uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir returned to the UK due to a visa delay.
Schedule for India vs England Test series 2024
1st Test: January 25-29 (Thursday-Monday) - Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
2nd Test: February 2-6 (Friday-Tuesday) - Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam,
3rd Test: February 15-19 (Thursday-Monday) - Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
4th Test: February 23-27 (Friday-Tuesday) - JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi
5th Test: March 7-11 (Thursday-Monday) - Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala
