From Harry Brook To Jamie Smith: Top-5 England Stars To Watch Out For In ATT
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Home strength but weakened bowling attack? We look at five England players to watch out for against India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
England are hosting India for a five-Test series and would certainly be looking for some sweet revenge for the 4-1 defeat they suffered on the reverse tour last year. While their opponents are going through a batting transition, the Englishmen are still recovering from losing James Anderson and Stuart Broad's experience, while also dealing with injuries to Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson, all out for the start of the rubber.
While the seniors will be looked at to lead from the front in adversity, it's also an opportunity for some youngsters to make their special mark against a strong opponent. Below, we have looked at five players from their 14-member squad for the first Test (in Leeds from June 20) who can be the biggest difference-makers.
Harry Brook: An Indian broadcaster for the series recently posted a photo on social media pitting Harry Brook against Rishabh Pant. It obviously drew a lot of flak from Indians, who believed that Pant already has a legacy of being India's greatest Test wicketkeeper, which Brook can't quite match yet.
It's hard to argue against it. But if there ever was a series for Brook to convert all of his obvious red-ball potential into a patch of form that makes the world stand up and notice, it's this. He's still under the shadows of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, who'll take all the limelight, and will face an inexperienced Indian bowling attack which has hardly bowled together, let alone in England.
Brook missed the last series between these two teams in India. Since then, he has taken his Test tally to 2339 runs, with as many as eight centuries. India will know he'll carry the BazBall flag on his chest and come hard at them on almost every ball — if the 26-year-old could work past their plans, it could be the start of his legacy in his peak years, which might culminate in him getting the captaincy, too.
Ben Stokes: For now, Stokes is the captain. The all-rounder's skills and contributions have always either been undervalued or overexaggerated. But there's a whole package there which India know can hurt them. He has scored a century and five fifties against the Indians, while also taking 40 wickets at 31.18.
At the opposite end of his career to India's Shubman Gill, Stokes doesn't have much to prove. However, he would have it in the back of his mind that under him, England have failed to find any success in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycles. This could be his last attempt at the title, and he'd want to start strong.
Joe Root: There hasn't been a more in-form Test batter than Joe Root in the last few years. Laughed at for not being able to convert his half-centuries into tons at the start of his career, he's now breaking records for fun and is threatening to go past the biggest of them all: Sachin Tendulkar's 15921 runs in the format.
India have found it hard to stop him. 10 of his 36 centuries have come against India, the most for him against any opponent. The flat English tracks are yet another opportunity for the right-hander to stack up runs, with the only obstacle for him being the sheer responsibility of being consistent in an otherwise undercooked side.
Jamie Smith: In two years, Jamie Smith might be considered one of the best English talents in the sport. He's that good. The 24-year-old has scored 641 runs in his 10-Test-long career at an average of 42.73, with most of those coming as the savior after middle-order collapses.
At this young age, he has already shown his adaptability in a variety of conditions, from England to Sri Lanka, and with different tempos, often looking much more mature to deal with demanding situations than his teammates. If England platform him well against India, he might be the biggest X-Factor threat for the hosts.
Brydon Carse: All the attention in the England bowling set-up is likely to be on Chris Woakes. That's expected because he's the seniormost in a set-up with a lot of injuries and recent retirements, who also brings a great record against India to the table. But the visitors would certainly be aware of Brydon Carse's threat.
The right-arm pacer is genuinely quick and intelligent enough to trouble the best of batters. So far, he has picked up 27 wickets at an average of 19.85, and was a handful when England toured New Zealand. If there were even slight help from the wickets, he'd be as daunting to face as Woakes.
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New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 17, 2025, 11:12 IST
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