A press release by the England Cricket Board announced a 16-strong squad by the England National Selectors along with six travelling reserves for the first and second Test matches in India starting on 5th February at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. England Men’s Test Squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire) (captain), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire). Reserves: James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Amar Virdi (Surrey). England’s tour to India will see Jofra Archer, Rory Burns and Ben Stokes return to the squad after Archer and Stokes were rested for the Sri Lanka series and Burns was on leave due to the birth of his first child. Ollie Pope will also travel to India if he passes the fitness test due to a shoulder injury he sustained during the Test series against Pakistan in September. Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood, who are currently in Sri Lanka have been rested for the first and second Tests in India by the National Selectors. The selection policy has maintained consistency of finding a block of rest during the post-Christmas schedule for all multi-format players. Somerset’s Craig Overton will be returning home after the Sri Lanka series with the return of Archer and Stokes and subject to fitness of the rest of the squad. England Tour of India Tests Friday 5-9 February: 1st Test – India v England, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Saturday 13-17 February: 2nd Test – India v England, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Wednesday 24-28 February: 3rd Test – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad Thursday 4-8 March: 4th Test – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad T20Is Friday 12 March: 1st T20I – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad Sunday 14 March: 2nd T20I – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad Tuesday 16 March: 3rd T20I – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad Thursday 18 March: 4th T20I – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad Saturday 20 March: 5th T20I – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad ODIs Tuesday 23 March: 1st ODI – India v England, MCA Stadium, Pune Friday 26 March: 2nd ODI – India v England, MCA Stadium, Pune Sunday 28 March: 3rd ODI – India v England, MCA Stadium, Pune Monday 29 March: Touring party departs India
