Tom Hartley will make his Test debut as one of three specialist spinners in the England side for the first Test against India in Hyderabad.
Left-armer Hartley, 24, joins Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed as the slow bowlers in the XI, with Mark Wood the only fast bowler.
“Looking at past tours, you can see how spin may give us a better opportunity,” captain Ben Stokes told BBC Sport.
“We feel having the three out-and-out spinners will give us the best chance.”
Stokes had already confirmed that Ben Foakes will return to keep wicket in what will be his first Test since February.
Lancashire’s Hartley has taken 40 wickets in 20 first-class matches and has also played two one-day internationals for England.
In making his Test debut, he will form an unusual England attack on what is a very dry surface.
Leg-spinner Ahmed, 19, has played only one Test, while senior spinner Leach has not played for England since June because of a back injury.
Wood provides high pace as the sole seamer, but has a chequered injury record.
“The decision was on looking at the pitch and thinking who we are going to get more out of,” said Stokes.
“Would we play two seamers, or an extra spinner? It is no disrespect to the seamers we have out. Pitches and conditions might change as the tour goes on, then we might have to look at a different dynamic.”
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach
The fourth spinner in England’s squad, uncapped 20-year-old Shoaib Bashir, has had to travel back to the UK after a delay in receiving his visa.
Bashir, who is of Pakistani origin, is expected to be able to enter India at the weekend.
Stokes said he was “devastated” for the Somerset man, but also dispelled any suggestion that England may have boycotted the Test in protest at the situation.
“When I first found the news out in Abu Dhabi, I did say we shouldn’t fly until Bash gets his visa but that was a little bit tongue in cheek,” said Stokes.
“As a leader, as a captain, when one of your team-mates is affected by something like that you do get a bit emotional. “There was never a chance that we were ever not going to travel around this, but Bash knows he’s had our full support.”
For England, the beginning of a year which contains 17 Tests is the biggest challenge Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took over in the summer of 2022.
England have not lost a series since Stokes and McCullum took charge, but face an India side that are unbeaten in a home Test series since 2012. In that time, India have lost only three of 46 homes Tests.
“This team thrives off challenges,” said Stokes. “We see this tour as an opportunity to do something teams find very hard to do.
“Even coming here and winning one game is like a tick, just because of how hard it is to play India in India.
“We’re not frightened by the beast that India is in India. We’ll take everything in our stride. Success is us sticking true to what we are. We know if we play anywhere near are capabilities, we’ll make it very hard for India to beat us.”
More to follow.
