NEW DELHI: England have included three young players, who have yet to make their international debut, in the 16-member squad revealed on Monday for the upcoming five-Test series against India scheduled to commence in January.
Among the new faces are Surrey's fast bowler Gus Atkinson, along with spinners Tom Hartley from Lancashire and Shoaib Bashir from Somerset.
Atkinson played a pivotal role in Surrey's retention of the County Championship title this year, securing 20 wickets in five matches with an average of 20.20. He was also part of England's squad in the recent ODI World Cup held in India.
Hartley and Bashir gained valuable experience by training with the England Lions squad during November in the United Arab Emirates.
Returning to the squad is 19-year-old leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who made headlines in December 2022 with a five-wicket haul against Pakistan, becoming England's youngest-ever Test debutant.
Leading the squad will be Ben Stokes, who recently declared his unavailability for the next year's Indian Premier League (IPL) to better manage his workload and ensure peak fitness.
The series begins in Hyderabad on January 25.
England squad:
Test series:
(With Reuters inputs)
