England has revealed their playing line-up for the opening Test against India at Edgbaston starting tomorrow, naming charismatic Jos Buttler as the vice-captain for the five-match series.
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Leg-spinner Adil Rashid has made a return into the five day format, with his last Test appearance coming in December 2016 against India. Rashid will be the lone spinner for England at Edgbaston, with Moeen Ali and Jamie Porter warming the bench.
Captain Joe Root revealed the playing XI via England Cricket Board (ECB)’s official website. Veteran Alastair Cook will be partnered at the top by Keaton Jennings followed by skipper Joe Root at number 3. Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes form part of a strong middle-order, with Jos Buttler at number 7 completing the batting line-up.
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Left-arm seamer Sam Curran has retained his position in the line-up after making his debut against Pakistan, while iconic duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad complete the bowling line-up alongside Adil Rashid.
The major debate was around the inclusion of Adil Rashid, who has not played a lot of red-ball cricket in the past few years. Despite the 30-year-old being relatively successful in limited-overs cricket, it will be interesting to see whether Rashid can trouble the Indian batsman just like the way he did in the shorter formats.
Adil Rashid has not played a County championship match for Yorkshire this season, and it will be interesting to see how he translates his white-ball form into the longest format of the game. With just one spinner in the line-up, skipper Joe Root might have to roll his arm over if the pitch seems to assist the spinners.
England’s playing XI for the opening Test:
Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root (c), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (vc), Sam Curran, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Adil Rashid.
