England tour of India: Four spinners, including Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, named in visiting team’s side | Cricket News

England will bring down four spinners as part of their 16-member squad for the challenging tour of India next month. India and England will play five-Test series in India in January. The series starts with the first game at Hyderabad on January 25.
What will be interested to see in the series against India is if skipper Ben Stokes takes the risk of bowling himself during the five Tests. The prolific all-rounder underwent knee surgery after the Cricket World Cup.
Besides the uncapped duo of Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed are also part of the England travelling party. it must be noted that Hartley and Bashir were part of the England squad that had trained in the United Arab Emirates last month.
Leach has just completed his recovery from a back injury. Teenage leg-spinner Ahmed will join forces with the 20-year-old Bashir. Ahmed had famously claimed a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Pakan last December.
Bashir, who plays for Somerset, has claimed 10 wickets in his six-match first-class career that began in June this year.
Meanwhile, Gus Atkinson is the third uncapped player named in the squad. The player, who turns out for Surrey back home, claimed 20 wickets in five County Championship matches last summer at an average of 20.20. Aided in part his bowling exploits, Surrey claimed their second consecutive title. Atkinson will combine forces with the veteran James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood in the seam department against India.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who was dropped for the recent Ashes series against Australia, has been recalled.
England Test Squad for tour of India:
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.