England announce squad for first Test against India, Jamie Overton recalled

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) named a 14-man squad for the first Test in the five-match series against India, which begins on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.

Seam-bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton returns to the red-ball setup, with Surrey teammate Gus Atkinson missing out with a right hamstring injury he suffered during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe last month.

“Surrey’s Gus Atkinson was unavailable for selection due to a right hamstring injury sustained during the recent Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge,” an ECB statement said.

Overton, who represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, has featured in only one Test match for England. Incidentally, this match was also held in June in 2022 and in Leeds against New Zealand.

The 31-year-old Overton broke a finger on his right hand during the first ODI against the West Indies on May 29. However, the England medical team has been assessing his injury since then. Apart from Overton, the Three Lions have pacers like Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue to choose from.

Ben Stokes is set to lead the England side. Meanwhile, Jamie Smith will don the wicketkeeping gloves. Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope, who scored centuries against Zimbabwe, will form the top three. Cook, Tongue, and Atkinson were the three pacers fielded in the game against the African nation.

Matthew Potts and James Rew have not retained their places in the side. Jacob Bethell comes into the side after missing the four-day Test. Shoaib Bashir, who was the Player of the Match against Zimbabwe, is the sole frontline spinner.

England squad for first Test versus India

Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain, Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)