Tom Hartley of England takes part in a training session. File.
| Photo Credit: AFP
England on December 11 named four specialist spinners, including the uncapped duo of Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, in the 16-member squad for next month’s five-Test series in India.
Off-spinners Hartley and Bashir were both part of the England Lions squad that trained in the United Arab Emirates last month.
The 20-year-old Bashir, who plays for Somerset, has snapped 10 wickets in his six-match first-class career that began in June this year.
The other two specialist spinners in the squad are Jack Leach, who has recovered from his back injury, and teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed.
Ahmed returns to the Test squad after claiming a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Pakistan last December.
Surrey quick Gus Atkinson, who claimed 20 wickets in five County Championship matches last summer at an average of 20.20 helping Surrey claimed back-to-back titles, has also earned his maiden Test call.
England skipper Ben Stokes, who underwent knee surgery after the World Cup, is also named in the squad but it is to be seen if the all-rounder resumes bowling duties.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes, who didn’t figure in the Ashes squad, has also been recalled.
Veteran James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Atkinson and Mark Wood are the four frontline seamers in the squad.
The five-Test series is slated to begin in Hyderabad on January 25.
England Test Squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.