England Test captain Ben Stokes has indicated the possibility of utilising Joe Root with the new ball in the opening Test of the five-match series in Hyderabad. Additionally, Stokes is contemplating the inclusion of uncapped left-arm spinner Tom Hartley in the playing XI for Thursday’s Test against India.
Stokes, who is not yet fit to bowl after recovering from a knee surgery, confirmed that Ben Foakes would return as wicketkeeper and bat at seven, leaving four bowling slots to consider.
With Shoaib Bashir absent, England may opt to field all three frontline spinners on a dry surface. Fit-again Jack Leach could partner leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed and Hartley. If England opt for two seamers, Leach would likely be joined by one of Hartley and Ahmed, alongside pacers James Anderson and Mark Wood, with Root providing the third spin-bowling option and the lone off-spinning option.
Stokes is entertaining the idea of utilising Root’s part-time off-breaks as a wildcard at the beginning of the innings, particularly if Yashasvi Jaiswal opens the batting for India. The England captain is of the opinion that such decisions are often based on gut feelings and the desire to create the best chances for victory in specific conditions.
“It would be a complete and utter ‘gut’ thing, as most of my decisions like that are,” said Stokes.
He added: “You might even see Rooty taking the new ball, depending on what I feel. If (left-hander) Yashasvi Jaiswal opens the batting, you might see Rooty opening the bowling because it’s spinning away from the bat. When picking the team it’s about what you think is going to give you the best chance of winning and who is going to offer you more in certain conditions.”
Given the prevalence of right-handed batters in India’s top six, England might introduce Hartley as the second left-arm spinner in the playing XI alongside the experienced Leach. The 24-year-old Hartley, with 40 wickets in 20 first-class matches for Lancashire and two one-day internationals for England, has been identified as a potential threat by Stokes with his height and skiddy trajectory.
“I have done plenty of tours here and think I would have some idea around what a bowler can look like here who will be successful. Tom is someone who is obviously very tall, he bowls at a very difficult pace to be able to handle out here and he is someone who gets a lot of natural variation. In India that is sometimes the hardest thing to face,” said Stokes.
The first match of the series is scheduled for January 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, marking England’s second Test series in the current cycle of the World Test Championship following their 2-2 draw against Australia in the 2023 Ashes.