Ben Stokes and Co's campaign to defeat India on Indian soil will begin with the first Test in Hyderabad.
The last time England toured India, back in early 2021, Joe Root's team returned home beaten, 3-1.
The team from that series had a different look from the current squad.
Without the retired Stuart Broad, James Anderson will carry the load with Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson in a three-pronged pace attack.
Jonny Bairstow, who was left out of that tour, has been included this time around. Other than Root and Stokes, Anderson, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence were part of the dressing room in 2021. Lawrence was named in the squad after Harry Brook withdrew from the series for personal reasons on Sunday, January 21.
Stokes is set to fully recover from knee surgery ahead of the opening Test and armed with their much ballyhooed Bazball philosophy and some young talent, England are expected to give India nothing less than a fight.
A look at the England squad that will square off against Rohit Sharma and Co:
Ben Stokes (Captain)
One of the most prolific all-rounders in modern day cricket, Stokesy is just what England desired after Joe Root's not so great time as skipper.
Even before being handed the captaincy, Stokes powered England to a number of Test victories thanks to his powerful strokeplay and calm in demanding situations. But more than that, his partnership with Coach Brendon McCullum and their Bazball philosophy has given teams some nightmares.
Stokes leads by example and though he may not bowl in the series, his batting and astute leadership will ensure a mouthwatering contest.
Rehan Ahmed
After making waves in his debut series against Pakistan in Karachi in December 2022, the spinner was sidelined, until now.
A leg-spinning all-rounder, Rehan, who became the youngest England bowler to take five wickets on debut, has been recalled given the purchase spinners get on Indian tracks.
The son of a Pakistan-born taxi driver, the 20 year old impressed Shane Warne who watched him bowl to England batters in the nets at Lord's in 2016. Rehan was instrumental in guiding England to the Under-19 World Cup final in 2022 and will hope to make his mark in India.
James Anderson
Nearly 21 years in the business and Jimmy can still produce the goods for his team.
England's fast bowling spearhead is on his 6th tour to India and although he doesn't have the best record in subcontinental conditions, the onus will be on him to lead the attack and educate his fellow seamers about conditions in India.
His numbers on the subcontinent don't count for much (34 wickets in 13 Tests in India) but with some help from conditions in the mornings, Jimmy is expected to get some early breakthroughs.
Gus Atkinson
Surrey quick Gus Atkinson, who took 20 wickets in five county championship matches last summer at an average of 20.20 helping Surrey win back-to-back titles, earned his maiden Test call.
Atkinson made his ODI and T20I debut last year and was a surprise name in England's ICC ODI World Cup squad. England had a dismal outing and in the three matches he played he picked up 4 wickets.
Atkinson will have a baptism by fire in Test cricket with Indian pitches giving little to no assistance to seamers, but the time spent bowling in the World Cup would have given him an idea of what to expect and how to tackle the challenge on unresponsive flatbeds.
Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow was surprisingly left out of the England squad before being included for the final two Tests on the 2021 tour of India. In four innings, both Tests in Ahmedabad, he scored three ducks and a 28, and he would like to prove a point or two come January 25.
A good batter against spin, his experience of playing in India in the IPL will come in handy and with the freedom that Bazball offers, In 95 Tests he has scored over 5,000 runs, hitting 12 centuries.
Shoaib Bashir
Uncapped 20-year-old Bashir received a call-up after his impressive showing for England Lions on their tour to the United Arab Emirates in late 2023. He hasn't received an Indian visa yet and it's unclear when he will join the touring party.
His haul of 6 for 42 in a two innings match against Afghanistan A impressed Brendon McCullum.
The tall off-spinner, who is a handy batter down the order, played age-group cricket for Surrey, but joined Somerset last year.
Having played just 6 first class matches for Somerset, he has taken 10 wickets, with 6 for 55 his best figures in a match.
Zak Crawley
Crawley was the top scorer in the 2023 Ashes series (480 runs at an average of 53.33).
He missed the first two Tests in India in 2021 with injury and scored just one half century in the next two Tests.
England will rely on Crawley giving them a steady start, but he is known to be circumspect in the corridor of uncertainty.
Ben Duckett
Duckett has been in and out of the England set up since his Test debut in 2016.
The 29-year-old southpaw was part of the tour to India in 2016 where he struggled against Ravichandran Ashwin and was dropped after the first two Tests in that series.
The opener's inconsistent showing at Test level saw him axed until his return in 2022 against Pakistan. Since then, Duckett has averaged 53.21 in Test cricket, including a century in his comeback game in Rawalpindi.
Ben Foakes
Foakes will keep wickets in the series though England have the seasoned Bairstow at their disposal.
His quick hands and calmness behind the stumps coupled with his ability to play entertaining knocks will help Foakes prove his worth on Indian soil.
Part of the tour in 2021, Foakes played three Tests, but didn't make a difference, scoring just 78 runs in the 6 innings with a highest of 42 not out.
Tom Hartley
The 24-year-old left-arm spinner, like Bashir, was a part of the England Lions squad who did well in the UAE.
Hartley is a handy batter down the order as his first class record shows -- in 20 matches he has scored over 500 runs with a best of 69 not out.
He has played two ODIs, both against Ireland and went wicketless in both. T20 cricket is the tall Lancastrian's strong suit, having made a mark in the England T20 Blast and The Hundred, picking wickets using his height and accuracy.
Dan Lawrence
The middle order batsman has been recalled after nearly two years. Lawrence was in the touring squad in 2021, but failed to notch up any performance of note.
A grafter of runs, this will be his first series in England's Bazball era and it will be interesting to see how he fits in the scheme of things.
Jack Leach
The left-arm orthodox spinner is a seasoned pro, having a good five years of international experience. The India tour will be his second visit to the country.
On the last trip in early 2021, Leach finished with 18 wickets at an average of 28.72. Since Ben Stokes took over the captaincy in May 2022, Leach has done well -- he finished the year with 46 wickets, the 3rd highest wicket-taker of the year.
A stress fracture saw him miss the Ashes series last year.
Ollie Pope
Pope has been in and out of the side since his debut against India at Lord's in 2018.
Included for the 3rd and 4th Tests in India in 2021, Pope had scores of 1, 12, 15 and 29.
A series of inconsistent performances thereafter saw him being axed for a number of Tests and the Windies series in 2022.
Pope is another players who has blossomed under the Stokes-McCullum regime. He volunteered for the No. 3 spot and made it count. His scoring rate zoomed and from 2022 to 2023 in just 15 Tests, he scored over 1,000 runs, his average in the high 30s.
Blessed with sharp reflexes, he is a good fielder close-in and in the outfield.
Ollie Robinson
Robinson will likely partner Jimmy Anderson and open the attack.
The pacer made his debut in just 19 Tests he has taken 76 wickets.
If his last outing in the subcontinent is an indication -- on the 2022-2023 tour of Pakistan, he picked 9 wickets in three Tests -- he will be made to work hard for his wickets.
Joe Root
England's main man with the bat.
On the 2021 tour of India, he was a disappointment -- one double century in the first Test in a winning cause, the only standout in an otherwise lacklustre outing.
Root has since adopted an aggressive mindset to compliment the Bazball approach, with a high degree of success.
Since stepping down as captain and playing under Ben Stokes, he has scored over 1,200 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 68 with five centuries and as many half centuries.
In challenging Indian conditions, will Root stick to his new Bazball approach or go back to his basics and bat solidly as he used to?
Mark Wood
At 34, Wood will be touring India for the first time for a Test series. Popular in the IPL because of the pace he generates, Wood will look to keep it quick and accurate against the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Wood can give the Indian batters a harrowing team with his quick bowling, reaching up to 95 miles an hour.
