Who should England take to India? Our writers pick their squads for crucial tour

HUW TURBERVILL, JAMES COYNE, NICK HOWSON, NICK FRIEND and ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY select 16-man travelling parties, and seven reserves, for the four-Test tour of India. Do you agree with the squads they've picked?

HUW TURBERVILL

Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are back! Demi-gods in India thanks to the IPL, they should get plenty of cheers (through the TVs, in the absence of crowds anyhow). I don’t think the duo should have missed the Sri Lanka Tests, but then I’m old-fashioned.

Rory Burns will be back from paternity, and I’d pair the southpaw with Zak Crawley, bearing in mind Dom Sibley’s struggles with spin.

Dan Lawrence could bat at No.3. He made a super debut and has batted there for Essex, but it is suspected England will keep going with Jonny Bairstow, who had a decent Test at Galle after a lean two years. Lawrence may have to stay patient again.

If Joe Root wants to bat at No.4, let him. Let’s have Stokes at No.5. There’s a strong case for Ben Foakes, persuasively made by George Dobell in the February issue of The Cricketer out now, and he is going to play in a couple of Tests, but Jos Buttler is capable, of course.

Dom Bess and Jack Leach did pretty well at Galle, especially considering the latter was wrapped in cotton wool last summer. It’s asking a lot for them to outbowl Ravichandra Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja. We wish them luck.

Archer will be the spearhead of an attack that should include the wily Broad more often than out. Redoubtable Chris Woakes or the effervescent Sam Curran can provide balance. Moeen Ali will also be desperate for a chance, and if it really is a raging ‘bunsen’, perhaps England will play a spin trident.

James Anderson will be given a Test at least I expect to keep him ticking over.

Ollie Pope may have to wait for a chance, such is the strength in depth we suddenly have, as fine a player as he is.

Sibley will be a reserve, and hopefully can learn from batting coaches Graham Thorpe and Jonathan Trott. Olly Stone and Mark Wood will be on the scene, fine-tuning their pace for further adventures in the year. I’d like to have seen more of Craig Overton, who can be a wonderful stock bowler in overseas conditions, but it makes sense for Amar Virdi, Mason Crane and Matt Parkinson to continue their subcontinental spin apprenticeship. The promising James Bracey will also be a reserve.

It’s going to be tough for England, but fascinating.

Squad: Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Chris Woakes

Reserves: James Bracey, Mason Crane, Craig Overton, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Mark Wood, Amar Virdi

^{Moeen Ali and Ben Foakes will both be hoping for inclusion}

JAMES COYNE

England’s results are on the up overseas, and the selectors face some tricky decisions even with the party to India an expanded one.

I would bring Rory Burns back into the squad at the expense of Dom Sibley, who can work on his game against spin in between the Tests. I thought England looked a batsman light among their seven reserves in Sri Lanka anyway.

But with Ollie Pope returning to fitness and scoring a fifty in the warm-up game in Sri Lanka, it seems likely that James Bracey will return home.

Rotation from Test to Test is essential when it comes to the quick bowlers – so England need lots of options.

Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes – more experienced than most in Indian conditions – come back in after their rests. As long as Mark Wood is fit, I’m afraid Olly Stone drops back into the reserve seven – though it would be easier to make that call after the second Test.

Similarly, it’s a tough decision between James Anderson and Chris Woakes – neither of whom has played on the tour yet. Anderson is nearer the end of his career, but has the track record in Indian conditions. 

With three finger spinners in the main squad, it’s hard to see Amar Virdi playing unless there is a bout of illness in the camp, or Moeen Ali has residual problems from Covid-19, or India completely destroy the spinners in the opening Test or two.

If England’s resources stretch to just seven reserves, it may be time for them to make a choice over their leg-spin and medium-fast back-up. It’s impossible for me – not being in Sri Lanka and not seeing England training – to say which of Matt Parkinson/Mason Crane or Craig Overton/Ollie Robinson is in the better position. That’s not a cop-out!

Squad: Joe Root, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood

Reserves: Ollie Pope, Mason Crane/Matthew Parkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton/Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

^{Ollie Pope has recovered from injury and is available}

NICK HOWSON

England’s starting XI in Chennai might not rival the side which secured a series win in 2012 for talent, but they have every chance of emulating them. There is a real depth of quality there.

I think the squad of 16 largely picks itself. Rory Burns, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Ollie Pope all come back in no problem.

If Pope isn't ready, and caution would be understandable, Dan Lawrence is an automatic inclusion. The Essex man probably just misses out to Jonny Bairstow's experience, which is regrettable.

Mason Crane, Matt Parkinson and Amar Virdi have one Test outing between them but provide decent back-up to an under-fire spin department.

Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson should return home for a full pre-season, particularly with Olly Stone and Mark Wood dropping out. The same goes for James Bracey, while Saqib Mahmood will get the nod for the white-ball matches.

Squad: Joe Root, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

Reserves: Mason Crane, Sam Curran, Dan Lawrence, Matt Parkinson, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Mark Wood

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NICK FRIEND

A difficult party to pick tempered by the fact that Chris Silverwood, Joe Root and Ed Smith have all spoken at different points over the winter months about the fluidity between the main squad and the raft of on-site reserves. So, don’t read too much into the above – I see plenty of movement in what I’ve selected.

As a result, I have shifted Olly Stone, Ben Foakes, Dom Sibley and Chris Woakes into the smaller group, but on the assumption that all four might still play some part in the series.

Smith said in December that a rest for Jos Buttler was likely during the second half of the India series, and that Foakes’s chance would come then.

Likewise, moving Sibley into the reserve group is not necessarily a reflection on him. Rather, it speaks to Jonny Bairstow’s quality against spin at No.3 and the near-certain returns of Ben Stokes and Rory Burns. Burns’ left-handedness also counts for him; in Sri Lanka, Sam Curran is England’s highest left-handed option, allowing Lasith Embuldeniya and Dilruwan Perera to settle into a rhythm against the right-handers. The returns of Stokes and Burns, therefore, will help to balance that line-up.

Whether Pope slots straight back into the side will be interesting; Dan Lawrence’s impressive Test debut has given Silverwood a decision to mull over.

I expect Woakes to play a part in the series as well, perhaps fighting over a single spot with Sam Curran, whose variety is so important on subcontinent surfaces, and Moeen Ali, whose availability England will hope for as a third spin option.

Squad: Joe Root, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Rory Burns, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Ollie Pope

Reserves: Dom Sibley, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, Olly Stone, Matthew Parkinson, James Bracey, Chris Woakes

^{Dan Lawrence made his debut in Sri Lanka}

ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY

Two words: Ben Foakes. Jos Buttler, who remains my first-choice wicketkeeper, needs a rest after his exploits in 2020 and I am excited for Foakes’ long-awaited return to the Test side. What about Bairstow with the gloves? Sorry Jonny, you’re a specialist batsman now.  

Rory Burns has spent time away from cricket on paternity leave, but I’d rather pair him with Zak Crawley and leave Dom Sibley in the reserves to practice against spin. 

Dan Lawrence, Joe Root and Ben Stokes take numbers three, four and five, and while I’d prefer Chris Woakes as the main bowling all-rounder, Sam Curran is proving himself to be a selection nuisance.  

Spin twins Dom Bess and Jack Leach are essential while Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Mark Wood and (drumroll please) Jofra Archer share the seam workload.  

Moeen Ali and Ollie Pope are the big names to miss out, joining Sibley in the reserves.  

Squad: Joe Root, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood 

Reserves: Moeen Ali, James Bracey, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone