So, does Root have nerve to recall Rashid?
SELECTORS BACK LEG SPINNER BUT SKIPPER IS NOT SO SURE
JOE ROOT was last night considering whether to throw his support behind the inclusion of Yorkshire team- mate Adil Rashid in England’s squad for the first Test against india.
National selector Ed smith and head coach Trevor Bayliss are both keen on including the leg-spinner in the 13-man party, along with Moeen Ali.
But Root needs to be convinced Rashid, who has chosen not to play any red-ball county cricket this season, is ready to transfer his white-ball prowess to the Test arena. Rashid is yet to play a Test under Root.
smith has shown an openminded approach to the job, recalling Jos Buttler to the Test team on the basis of his form in the indian Premier league. And Bayliss has always liked spinners such as Rashid who attack both edges of the bat.
despite playing the last of his 10 Tests in december 2016, Rashid’s stock has never been higher, not least after bowling Virat Kohli during the deciding one-day international at headingley last week. if Rashid misses the cut, somerset slow left-armer Jack leach will get the chance to add to the cap he won in Christchurch — before a broken thumb ruled him out of the series against Pakistan.
Either way, England are seriously considering playing two spinners at Edgbaston on Wednesday — mainly because of the heatwave that has left pitches parched and slow bowlers flexing their fingers.
For Ali, selection would represent a quick turnaround after he was axed for the first time in his 50-Test career following England’s defeat by New Zealand in Auckland last March.
That completed a miserable winter in which his five wickets cost 126 apiece. But he claimed 19 at 23 when india last toured England in 2014, and picked up eight in Worcestershire’s defeat by somerset this week.
since Ali was already being touted to return for the second Test at lord’s as a replacement for Ben stokes, who will be facing charges of affray in Bristol, it makes sense to recall him now rather than pick somerset’s dom Bess for one game.
if England go with two spinners, it would leave them with a tough call. it is inconceivable stokes — not long back from injury — will be one of only three seamers, which means Chris Woakes has to play.
The axe would then fall on dawid Malan, despite his pair of half-centuries for England lions against india A. Malan averages just 29 in his 14 Tests.
Ali could then slot in at No 4, a position he last occupied against india at Chennai in 2016, scoring 146. The other option would be to bat him lower and ask Jonny Bairstow, stokes and Buttler to move up a spot.
Meanwhile, the selectors could include uncapped somerset seamer Jamie Overton ahead of surrey’s sam Curran.
Mark Wood is out for at least two weeks after suffering from a trapped nerve in his ankle. PROBABLE SQUAD: J Root (capt), A Cook, K Jennings, D Malan, J Bairstow (wkt), B Stokes, J Buttler, M Ali, C Woakes, S Broad, A Rashid/ J Leach, J Anderson, J Overton.