"They could easily roll through any batting line-up in the world" - Swann issues fair warning over 'rookie' England spinners ahead of India tour

Graeme Swann has huge expectations from England's new-look spin quartet for their upcoming five-match Test series against India. Led by the experienced Jack Leach, the spin department comprises three relatively inexperienced members - Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, and Shoaib Bashir.

England's spin attack lacked a little bit of sting during their previous tour of India in 2021. Leach claimed 18 wickets in the four-match series but lacked support from the likes of Moeen Ali and Dom Bess. Part-time option Joe Root had to step up to claim a five-wicket haul in Ahmedabad, showcasing England's plight.

This time around, despite the inexperience, there is no lack of variety in England's spin setup. Hartley and Bashir's exploits on the domestic circuits have been praised, while Rehan has been in the scheme of things for a while after having made his debut in Pakistan in late 2022.

Swann, who worked with these spinners when he held the role of mentor with the England Lions recently during a camp in Dubai, feels that they are capable of toppling any team in the world, especially on rank turners.

“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. 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," Swann said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

“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," the former England spinner added.

England's previous tour of India saw Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel run the show with a combined tally of 59 wickets.

The visitors held a rare series lead in India after winning the first Test in Chennai but were steamrolled in the remainder of the series, including a two-day frenzy contest in Ahmedabad with the pink ball.

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"Such is the game and such is the state of English spin over the last few years" - Graeme Swann on lack of experience in the spin department

While Tom Hartley has made a solitary ODI appearance to kickstart his international career, fellow spinner Shoaib Bashir came across as a surprise inclusion, having only made six first-class appearances since making his debut in June 2023.

Even Rehan Ahmed, who is supposedly the second-most senior member in the spin department, has only played 13 first-class matches in his career so far.

“They’ve not got the years of experience that spinners used to have, or used to be a prerequisite of getting in the England team, you had to have done it for years and years. Such is the game and such is the state of English spin over the last few years that they’ve just not got it," Swann said.

England's tour of India begins with the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on January 25.