Jamie Overton has been drafted into England’s squad for the fifth and final Test against India, adding a burst of pace – and much-needed energy – after the bowlers’ marathon effort in Manchester. The fast-bowler, who made his only Test appearance back in 2022, impressed for Surrey last week and is the sole addition to the group that drew at Old Trafford.
England’s attack sent down 257.1 overs across two Indian innings in that match, a collective strain that Ben Stokes did not try to disguise. “If you look at how long we’ve been out in the field and the overs that we bowled as a bowling unit, everyone is going to be pretty sore and pretty tired going into the last game of the series,” the captain said. He added: “These recovery days are going to be pretty important, and we might have to make a few decisions to get some fresh legs in. But that won’t be decided until we get closer to the last game.”
Those words explain Overton’s return. Tall, quick and capable of extracting extra bounce, the 30-year-old offers a different angle, especially useful at a venue where the pitch can flatten out by days three and four. His recent County Championship spell – sharp, if brief – convinced selectors he is fit enough to shoulder a Test workload.
It is not only Overton under consideration. Gus Atkinson, cleared after a minor hamstring issue, is pushing for a first Test cap at his home ground. Josh Tongue, still England’s second-highest wicket-taker of the series with 11, remains in the mix. And then there is Jofra Archer, carefully managed after four years out of the format and unlikely to be over-bowled again so soon.
Workload figures underline why changes feel inevitable. Chris Woakes leads both sides with 167 overs, Brydon Carse is on 155 and Stokes himself has delivered 140. Even modern sports science struggles to mask that sort of fatigue with just three days between matches.
To maximise recovery time, Tuesday’s training session was cancelled. The squad will gather at The Oval on Wednesday, when coaching staff and medical experts will offer final fitness reports before the XI is confirmed.
For India the draw in Manchester kept the series alive; for England the task is simpler – find enough fit bowlers to take twenty wickets once more. Overton is unlikely to solve every problem, yet his selection shows the management know they cannot ask the same weary attack to go again without support.
England squad: Ben Stokes (capt), 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.
