• Source:JND
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England spinner Rehan Ahmed is gearing up for his first India tour and is getting ready to face challenges in the 'hard' five-match Test series, slated to begin in Hyderabad on January 25.

The 19-year-old made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi in December, 2022 and bagged seven wickets including a fifer but failed to retain his spot in the Test squad.

On the spin-friendly wickets of India, Rehan earned a Test recall for the India tour along with three other spinners - Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley and Jack Leach.

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Rehan said he is keen to put his best foot forward in the series and be an asset to the visiting side.

"I’ve accepted it’s going to be hard. I’ll try my best. That’s all I can control. I’m just looking forward to playing Test cricket again. The least I could do is make sure I’m fully ready for whatever I can be for England," The Telegraph quoted Rehan as saying.

The youngster said that his first priority is to play for England and added that there is a lot of time for IPL.

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"There’s a lot of time for IPL and stuff if I get the chance again, and if I don’t get the chance to do it, I’m fine with that as well. I spoke to a couple of people - if you want a long career, you don’t want to burn out too soon. Just being ready for England is my main priority," he stated.

Rehan said his philosophy is to keep things simple but added that he is learning how to bowl flippers like legendary Shane Warne.

"I don’t like focusing on new things while in competition - I keep it as simple as I can. But I’m sure when I have two or three weeks off I can put my head down and work on something special. I think the flipper’s a nice ball to have, especially in T20 cricket - even Test cricket, the way it’s going right now. Flipper’s a nice ball to have, seeing Warney the way he used to bowl it as well, the way he used to set batsmen up," Rehan added.

England squad for India Tests 2024: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.