India vs England: Adil Rashid named in hosts' playing XI for first Test; Moeen Ali, Jamie Porter excluded

Birmingham: Adil Rashid faced further pressure ahead of his controversial recall to the England Test side for their series opener against India at Edgbaston when it was announced on Tuesday he would be the lone specialist spinner in their XI. [caption id=“attachment_4861231” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] England’s Adil Rashid practices during nets. Reuters[/caption] The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that off-spinner Moeen Ali had been left out from a 13-man squad. That leaves Yorkshire leg-spinner Rashid as England’s sole designated slow bowler, although his county colleague Joe Root, the England captain, can supplement his top-order batting with occasional off-spin. England have also omitted uncapped Essex seamer Jamie Porter. Top-order batsman Dawid Malan remains in the XI, with all-rounder Ben Stokes and Surrey left-arm quick Sam Curran providing seam bowling support to the veteran new-ball pairing of James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the first of a five-Test series starting on Wednesday. England’s playing XI for the first Test: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.