London, July 28: England have bolstered their squad with the addition of seam-bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton for the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series against India, which begins just four days after the conclusion of the fourth Test in Manchester.
Overton, who made his lone Test appearance against New Zealand in 2022, was part of the wider England squad earlier in the series and now officially joins as the 15th member.
His inclusion comes as England weigh their options amid mounting concerns over the physical toll on their bowling unit.
During the recently concluded fourth Test at Old Trafford, England’s bowlers logged an exhausting 257.1 overs across two innings.
Spinner Liam Dawson bowled marathon spells, while fast bowlers including Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer endured heavy workloads. Notably, captain Ben Stokes was seen nursing his right shoulder during his spells on the final day, raising fitness concerns ahead of the series finale — although he remains in contention to play.
The decision to bring in Overton appears to be a precautionary measure with the tight turnaround between matches and the possibility of rotation among the fast bowlers. Both Woakes and Carse have featured in all four Tests so far, and Archer has now played back-to-back Tests after a long hiatus from red-ball cricket, marking his first sustained run in the format since 2021.
England currently lead the five-match series 2-1 and will be aiming to seal the series at The Oval. The inclusion of Overton provides them with additional flexibility, especially if the team management decides to rest any of their frontline quicks for the final showdown.
Apart from Overton’s inclusion, the rest of the squad remains unchanged.
England squad for the fifth Test vs India at The Oval:
Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes. (PTI)
