India Vs England: Dan Lawrence to join squad for Test series as Brook returns home

London, Jan 21 (PTI) Middle-order batter Dan Lawrence will replace Harry Brook in the England squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against India after the latter returned home because of personal reasons, the ECB announced on Sunday.

Brook had travelled to Abu Dhabi with the team for a preparatory camp ahead of the series, beginning in Hyderabad from January 25.

Lawrence, a 26-year-old from Surrey, will join the rest of his teammates on Monday before travelling to India.

“Harry Brook is set to return home with immediate effect for personal reasons from the England Men’s Test tour of India. He will not be returning to India,” the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement.

“The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space,” it further said.

Brook made his Test debut in 2022 against South Africa while his last appearance in England whites was against Australia at the Oval in July 2023.

The 24-year-old Yorkshire batter has so far played 12 Tests making 1181 runs at an average of 61 with four hundreds and seven fifties.

Brook’s impressive effort had helped England clean-sweep the series against Pakistan in late 2022. He was the Player of the Series after making 468 runs from five innings at an average of 93.60.

In comparison, Lawrence has made 551 runs from 11 matches at 29 with four fifties.

It's a bit of a puzzling selection too as Lawrence last played a Test in 2022, when he came out against the West Indies at the St George’s Park.

Many were expecting that Keaton Jennings, though an opener, would get drafted into the squad in place of Brook.

Jennings had recently made a free-flowing 154 and a 64 for England Lions against India A in the first of the four-day unofficial ‘Test’ in Ahmedabad. PTI