England have sprung a surprise ahead of their marquee Test series against India, recalling Jamie Overton to the squad for the opening match at Headingley on June 20. The 31-year-old fast bowler, who played his lone Test in 2022, replaces the injured Gus Atkinson in a pace-depleted lineup grappling with key absences.
Captain Ben Stokes will lead a 14-man squad that also includes returns for Jacob Bethell, Chris Woakes, and Brydon Carse — all of whom missed England’s recent one-off Test against Zimbabwe.
The selection comes as England contend with a growing injury list. Jofra Archer’s much-anticipated red-ball comeback has been derailed yet again — this time due to a thumb injury sustained during IPL 2025 action with Rajasthan Royals. The setback ruled him out of the recent ODI series against the West Indies and a scheduled England Lions red-ball return.
Mark Wood, recovering from knee surgery earlier this year, has also been ruled out of the series opener. The ECB is hopeful he may feature in the later stages of the five-Test campaign.
Bethell’s inclusion adds intrigue to England’s top-order dynamics. Despite notching three half-centuries at No. 3 in New Zealand, he faces stiff competition from Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope — both of whom were among the runs against Zimbabwe.
The high-profile series kicks off at Headingley on June 20, followed by fixtures at Edgbaston (July 2), Lord’s (July 10), Old Trafford (July 23), and The Oval (July 31), as England and India jostle for crucial World Test Championship points.
England squad for 1st Test vs India:
Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (capt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.