England have announced a 14-member squad for the upcoming five-Test series against India, starting June 20, with Ben Stokes set to lead the side once again. Among the notable inclusions is all-rounder Jamie Overton, who returns to the Test squad after a three-year hiatus. Overton last featured in a Test match during the 2022 series against New Zealand, where he impressed with a gritty 97 and a couple of wickets on debut. His return offers some much-needed depth in both departments, despite recovering from a fractured finger sustained during the West Indies ODI series.
However, England’s pace stocks have taken another hit. Gus Atkinson, who made his Test debut recently against Zimbabwe, will miss the series opener due to a hamstring injury. With Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Olly Stone already sidelined—Archer expected to return only for the second Test—the bowling attack remains a concern for the hosts.
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To bolster their pace department, England have added Brydon Carse and the experienced Chris Woakes. Also making a return is top-order prospect Jacob Bethell, who is being groomed as a long-term investment in the red-ball setup.
England name their squad for the first Test against India 🏴 pic.twitter.com/x3iHGTBZau
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 5, 2025
This series marks the beginning of the next ICC World Test Championship cycle, adding extra weight to every match. The first Test will be held at Headingley, followed by games at Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval.
On the other side, India will arrive in England later this week, with Shubman Gill taking over the Test captaincy after Rohit Sharma’s retirement. The last Test series between the two sides ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw, setting the stage for another tightly-contested battle.
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England Squad for 1st Test againts India: Ben Stokes (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
