My England XI For the First Test

It's that time of year again when the discussion around England’s starting XI for the first test really kicks up a gear and becomes talk of the town. With that being said, I am going to offer my 50p’s worth, and using my very limited opinions, offer my thoughts on how I would select the team.

1 - Emilio Gay

2 - Ben Duckett

3 - Jacob Bethell

4 - Joe Root

5 - Harry Brook

6 - Ben Stokes ©

7 - Jamie Smith (WK)

8 - Will Jacks

9 - Ollie Robinson

10 - Jofra Archer

11 - Josh Tongue

The Openers,

Arguably the most hotly discussed topic in English cricket. Personally I believe Ben Duckett is nailed down for one of the spots. Despite a relatively lean patch on the international scene, his record since going to the top of the order has been impressive. The decision to withdraw from this year's IPL with Delhi Capitals to prioritise playing for Nottinghamshire, shows where Duckett’s head is at in regards to wanting to maximise his chances of performing for England.

The other opener would be Emilio Gay, who has had a remarkable start to the season. Gay, who currently averages 94, has been a revelation for Durham so far this season. Whilst he does bat number 3, he is very well versed as an opener and I believe he has all the attributes required to open the batting at the highest level. 

The Engine Room,

Jacob Bethell is 100% my number three, yes being sat in the IPL and not playing consistent cricket in particular not playing red ball for Warwickshire is a big talking point. But I believe the fact he is training daily and spending valuable time around international players learning off of them is a really useful experience for Bethell. The Innings in the 5th test at Sydney proves everything to me that he has every attribute possible to be a leading batter in world cricket. 

Joe Root, I don’t think anything else can be said as to why he is the best batter in world cricket. Even from watching snippets of his time for Yorkshire this season, the time he has at the crease when batting is just beautiful to watch. Plus his more than handy off spin!! 

Number 5 is also a no-brainer. Harry Brook arguably walks into any international team at number 5, his ability to put bowlers under pressure mixed with his natural skill and talent makes him one of the world's most destructive and feared batters. Following a challenging winter, I hope he will temper his game a bit more and have more of a refined approach when batting, whilst still maintaining the ability to press the accelerator. 

At Number 6 is the captain, Ben Stokes. Now following this so-called high performance review it seemed odd that some people questioned whether he was right to lead the team. In my view he is not just a world class player but a world class captain also. A fully fit Ben Stokes is easily in the discussion for the best all-rounder in world cricket. The way he bowled in the 2025 test summer showed how much of an asset his bowling is. Yes, I’m sure by his own high standards runs haven’t been where he would have liked them to be, but Stokes has shown many times before that you can never discount him and there is nobody I would want more in a tricky situation. His calmness mixed with the ability to clear the ropes when needed is why he is an England great.

Wicket Keeper,

If this was written on the eve of the 2026 county championship season, then I would have been torn on who and what I wanted in my WK. Particularly with the winter gone, I had a few questions around the qualities of certain players. But with Jamie Smith starting so well for Surrey, it was a no brainer. I don’t think anyone has ever questioned the talent Smith possesses with the bat, to me it felt the majority of fans had an issue with the shot selection/decision making during the Ashes. In terms of wicket keeping, I think he is very good for what England need and going unnoticed is probably one of the best compliments someone can receive in terms of their quality of Wicket Keeping. 

The Spinner,

Many would argue this is a rather interesting debate regarding who they will pick. Whether they go for someone who offers batting or if they pick a genuine out and out spinner. Whilst there are clearly some very good spinners on the county circuit, I think I would still side with Will Jacks. This wasn’t an easy choice, but I think Jacks is perfect for what England would require in their own conditions. Jacks bowls with quite a lot of overspin generating drop and bounce which is an asset England seemingly like. Along with his bowling ability, Jacks is more than capable with the bat and provides extra strength to an already stacked batting line up.

The Seamers,

I’ve thought about my three seamers quite a lot and it all boiled down to one spot and a pick between two players.

Whilst I'm very aware of the England management's alleged disagreements with Ollie Robinson, for me he is a test quality bowler. Providing the fitness and off field issues have been resolved, then I would have him straight back in the side. His ability with the new ball is a real plus for England and I hope the past can be put in the rear view mirror. 

Alongside Robinson I would have both Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue. In my opinion, both are world class bowlers and both have the skills to operate at such a high level. Tongue was one of the only positives to come from the Ashes tour showing his skills with the ball whilst being able to operate at high pace throughout. Jofras is rather self explanatory, bowls at high pace with high skill, causing major issues for any batters in world cricket. Some of his spells vs India in 2025 were extremely impressive. Again the only issue is fitness, but hopefully the body is healed and robust enough for an English test summer.

Honourable Mentions,

There are quite a few players who deserve a mention who were very close to my side. In the batting department, Asa Tribe, Ben McKinney and James Rew all staked very strong claims for having their chance at the top of the order. And I am sure all three will have long and fruitful international careers. 

As for the spinner Liam Dawson, Mason Crane, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir all had their own reasons as to why they deserve to be picked. With sub continental tours upcoming I would imagine a good amount of these players will be selected and play crucial roles in those games. 

So that would be what I would be doing if I was the selector picking the team, but remember it’s all hypothetical!!