The visitors named three spinners, including Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed, and Hartley for the upcoming Test match against India.
On the other hand, Mark Wood has been picked as the only seam bowler in the side, which means legendary pacer James Anderson will not take part in the long-format game in Hyderabad.
Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes have also been included in the first eleven after not being involved in England’s last Test against Australia at The Oval.
Another English spinner Shoaib Bashir has yet to travel to India due to a visa delay for which he was placed out of the playing eleven. Bashir was born in England’s Surrey and holds a British passport, but due to his Pakistani heritage, the bowler was facing trouble entering India for the five-match Test series.
Lancashire’s Tom Hartley is set to make his test debut in Hyderabad after Stokes announced a spin-heavy attack also including fellow left-armer Jack Leach and teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed with Joe Root as the fourth option.
Ben Foakes returned as wicketkeeper, freeing Jonny Bairstow to play as a specialist batter at number five.
The five-match Test series between India and England begins on January 25 in Hyderabad with the next four matches to be played in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala.
England’s Playing XI for Hyderabad: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes (Wk), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach.
