England summon Keaton Jennings and Liam Dawson for remaining Tests against India

It seems more likely, however, that an England Lion – from a list headed by Keaton Jennings and Nick Gubbins – will be summoned from their tour of Dubai in time for the fourth Test in Mumbai next week.

With an Ashes series less than a year away, England will want clarity over Cook’s role sooner rather than later.

He is due to lead the Lions again on Saturday, in the second of their three 50-over fixtures, and then take the four-hour flight to Mumbai where the fourth Test of five will begin a week today, with England 2-0 down and up against it to somehow try to battle back for an unlikely drawn series.

Some of the information has come via charismatic England and Durham match-winner Ben Stokes – although it sounds as if Root will be careful not to read too much into some details from that particular source.

Jennings, whose father Ray is a former coach of South Africa, admitted his call-up was an emotional moment for the family, especially for his Sunderland-born mother. “But he also looks a very solid young man as well”. T hat stands a batsman in good stead. The 24-year-old plundered 1548 runs this past season at an average of 64.5 for Durham, while scoring seven centuries, with one of them a double hundred. However, reports have since emerged that Cook will not step down and will continue leading the team for the foreseeable future.

“I think he’s deserved his opportunity, and I hope if he does play he takes his chance – and proves that he can put those performances in county cricket into Test cricket”.

He said: “Cookie’s an outstanding guy”.

“I wish him a speedy recovery. It’s just the way he is”.

And it does seem as though Bayliss, Flower and the selectors were all singing off the same hymn sheet in believing Dawson to be the best option now from the admittedly shallow pool of English spinning talent.

He said: “He wants to stay and play the last two Tests!”

“That is why the players love him, and they want to play for him”.

Confirming this on Tuesday, England’s captain Alastair Cook said, “He has got a broken hand, needs a plate within it to fix it”.

Dawson replaces Ansari in the squad after the Surrey all-rounder suffered a back injury during the second Test in Visakhapatnam. I was very surprised to be called up.

“To spend some time in the middle for me was great, even if they were one-day runs – which is obviously different to how things will be in India”.

“I’d admit my white-ball cricket is a lot stronger than my red-ball cricket”, he said. That’s what I do with Hampshire. That’s my job and it’s been my job for the last three years.