Tom Hartley raring to go in India after England take a "bit of a punt" on spinner

The 24-year-old left-armer was named in England's 16-strong squad for their five-match Test series against India and believes he has the skills to emulate the success of India spinner Axar Patel

England have taken a "bit of a punt" on Tom Hartley but the Lancashire spinner believes he has the skills to impress in India.

In December, the 24-year-old left-armer, who has two ODI caps, was named in the 16-strong squad for the five-match Test series.

He had previously been involved in a three-week England Lions training camp in the UAE, which England men's performance director, Mo Bobat, said was designed to help players "develop their red-ball game" and address "England's short and long-term needs in Test cricket, particularly with sub-continent challenges in mind".

Hartley has a modest first-class record, with 40 wickets at 36.57 in 20 appearances, but brings something a little different to the bowling attack thanks to his 6ft 4 frame. He also feels his bowling is "very similar" to India internationals Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.

^{Hartley, who has two ODI caps, impressed on a recent England Lions trip to UAE [Randy Brooks/Getty Images]}

The latter tormented England during the 2021 Test series, taking 27 wickets at 10.59, while teammate Ravichandran Ashwin (32 wickets at 14.71) and England spinner Jack Leach (18 at 28.72) were the only other bowlers to take at least 10 wickets.

Speaking to Press Association, Hartley said: "With the conditions being completely different to English conditions, they've really analysed what has done well in India and what will do well.

"It's nice to see people recognise that I might be the bowler to go out in India and do well. When people have confidence in you like that, it’s fantastic.

"I just feel all that confidence has been passed on to me and I can't wait to go out there. My stats might not be the best in Championship cricket, but I bowl very similar to Axar and Jadeja.

"They're taking a bit of a punt, but I feel like I've proved myself in the training camps that I've been on and I deserve to get a go."

^{Shoaib Bashir is the other uncapped spinner in England's squad [Harry Trump/Getty Images]}

Hartley is one of two uncapped spinners in England's travelling party, alongside Somerset's Shoaib Bashir, who has 10 wickets at 67 in his six first-class appearances, and the pair are joined in the spin ranks by Leach and teenage allrounder Rehan Ahmed.  

Graeme Swann, who took 20 wickets when England won a Test series on Indian soil in 2012 and served as a bowling coach on the Lions camp, believes Hartley and Bashir could "easily roll through any batting line-up in the world".

"They can bowl, put it that way, and the guys that are on that trip in India, if conditions suit and they get the chance and they can handle the pressure of it, are genuinely exciting," Swann said on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast.

"Hartley and Bashir could be genuinely exciting on the sort of wickets that are going to be produced by India, or you think are going to be produced.

"They've been picked very much for that purpose, and they could be brilliant. We saw things in Abu Dhabi that genuinely had me grinning like a Cheshire Cat and I'm very excited. They're complete unknowns to the rest of the world so should they get the chance on the sort of pitch that we played India on last time in Ahmedabad, they could easily roll through any batting line-up in the world. I think it's very exciting."