Ben Stokes expected to be fit for India Test series but will not bowl

England Test captain Ben Stokes is expected to be fit for the start of the five-Test tour of India beginning January 25 after being selected in a 16-man squad less than two weeks after undergoing left knee surgery.

Stokes will not bowl in the series, England director of cricket Rob Key said in a video call on Monday, though that was never the plan in the wake of his Nov. 29 operation.

Key accepted that not having Stokes available as an all-rounder was affecting the balance of the team. Stokes barely bowled in this year's Ashes series against Australia, which finished in a 2-2 draw, and was only a batter in the recent 50-over World Cup where England failed to reach the semifinals of a disappointing title defence.

“With Ben, it’s never been simple,” Key said. "It’s never been the case of, ‘Just put him into surgery and everything will be all right and in six weeks he’ll be coming back.’

“It does make it trickier but as long as you know it, you can come up with a plan.”

Key said Stokes' surgery was a “success" and that the captain was on course to be ready for the first Test in Hyderabad from Jan. 25-29.

It will be England's first Test series since the retirement of veteran pacer Stuart Broad, while Chris Woakes — one of the team's best fast bowlers in the Ashes — was left out.

Instead, England will have four seamers in Jimmy Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and uncapped Gus Atkinson.

Four spinners were selected: Jack Leach — fit again after a stress fracture of the back that forced him to miss the Ashes — backed up by Rehan Ahmed and uncapped pair Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir.

The 20-year-old Bashir was largely going on the tour for experience, Key said, having only made his first-class debut for Somerset six months ago and played just six senior red-ball matches, taking 10 wickets at an average of 67.

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