England v India: Sam Billings added to squad for fifth Test at Edgbaston

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, Sam Billings has won two Test caps

Kent wicketkeeper Sam Billings has been added to the England squad for the rearranged fifth Test against India at Edgbaston starting on Friday.

Billings played the final two days of the seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the third Test after Ben Foakes tested positive for Covid-19.

Foakes is self-isolating for five days.

The match was scheduled for September 2021 but was cancelled on the morning of the game after a Covid outbreak in the India squad.

India captain Rohit Sharma is also isolating because of Covid. Fellow opener Mayank Agarwal has been called up as cover.

India, who lead the series 2-1, drew a four-day tour match against Leicestershire, their only warm-up game before the Test.

They will also play three Twenty20s and three one-day internationals against England as part of the tour.

England completed a 3-0 series win over New Zealand on Monday in captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum's first series in charge.

England Test squad: Ben Stokes (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Sam Billings (wk), Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes (wk), Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Ollie Pope, Joe Root.

India Test squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mayank Agarwal.