Woakes and Tongue in Lions Squad as England Weigh Bowling Options for India Tests

Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue will have a vital opportunity to push for inclusion in England’s squad for the first Test against India, after being named in the England Lions team to face India A in a key warm-up match at Northampton on Friday.

With England’s fast-bowling options thinned by a string of injuries—Gus Atkinson (hamstring), Mark Wood (knee), and Jofra Archer (thumb)—this fixture could be decisive in determining the final bowling lineup for the opening Test at Headingley on June 20.

Key Inclusions:

• Woakes, fresh off a six-wicket haul for Warwickshire, returns to red-ball action after ankle issues sidelined him.

• Tongue impressed during England’s innings win over Zimbabwe last month and will look to back that up against a strong India A outfit.

Seam Bowling Race Heats Up

With Atkinson now a major doubt and Wood already ruled out, Woakes and Tongue are in contention alongside Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, and Sam Cook for places in the Test XI. Shoaib Bashir remains the likely lead spinner, with Ben Stokes available as an allrounder, though he won’t feature in the Northampton game.

Squad Updates and Absences

• Sonny Baker (ankle) and Josh Hull (heel) are out injured.

• Zaman Akhter, Henry Crocombe, and Dan Mousley have been released for T20 Blast duty.

• Jordan Cox joins the squad as he continues recovery from a side strain.

• Rehan Ahmed is with England’s T20I squad.

India A Build Momentum

India A will again field several fringe and Test-level players. Karun Nair made headlines with a 204 in Canterbury, pushing his case strongly for the senior side. KL Rahul and Akash Deep are expected to play in Northampton, while Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are now set to join India’s main squad on Friday.

Looking Ahead

This tour match serves as England’s final major red-ball assessment ahead of a crucial five-Test series that could define their World Test Championship campaign. With the first match less than two weeks away, selectors will be watching closely to assess who’s ready to step up.

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