Chris Woakes will make his full return from injury as part of a strong England Lions squad to face India A that includes Alastair Cook and four other recently capped Test players.
The all-rounder has been out of action for five weeks with both quad and knee problems and will now step up his rehabilitation as a batsman for Warwickshire’s second XI next week before resuming bowling in the four-day Lions fixture at New Road from 16 July.
Cook is also down to play as thoughts turn towards the five-match Test series against India that starts at Edgbaston on 1 August, with the middle-order batsman Dawid Malan, Surrey’s Sam Curran and the two Somerset spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach.
There are also chances to impress the selectors for the uncapped Surrey batsmen Ollie Pope and Rory Burns – the leading run-scorers in Division One – Nick Gubbins of Middlesex, the Yorkshire seamer Matt Fisher and Jamie Porter of Essex. The captain of this Lions team will be named on the morning of the match.
While Woakes joins Jimmy Anderson (shoulder) and Stuart Broad (ankle) on the comeback trail for the India Tests, his fellow all-rounder Ben Stokes is expected to be fit for a possible return in England’s Twenty20 international in Bristol this Sunday.
Stokes, who is returning from a hamstring tear, was reported to have appeared laboured when running during an unbeaten 90 on his comeback as a batsman in Durham’s defeat to Yorkshire on Thursday after being struck by balls to the foot and ankle in practice.
England are confident he will be ready this weekend before the three-match one-day series that begins at Trent Bridge on Thursday, although have previously stated the 27-year-old must able to bat and bowl – the latter being something he is yet to resume competitively – in order to be selected.
England Lions side to face India A: Alastair Cook (Essex), Rory Burns (Surrey), Nick Gubbins (Middlesex), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Dom Bess (Somerset), Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Jamie Porter (Essex)
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