England v Zimbabwe: Essex bowler Sam Cook to make international debut

England have often favoured pace or variation in height or angle in recent selections but Cook is a more traditional, skilful seam bowler – his debut a reward for his superb County Championship record.

Cook’s 227 County Championship wickets were the most by any seamer in the past five years while his overall haul of 321 first-class wickets have come at an average of only 19.85.

But the pace trio of Cook, Tongue and Atkinson contains only 13 Test caps, making it England’s most inexperienced pace attack for 22 years.

This will be only the second home Test England have begun without any of Chris Woakes, James Anderson or Stuart Broad – the latter two have now retired – in the past 18 years.

Woakes and Mark Wood, England’s two most experienced pace bowlers, are currently injured.

Nottinghamshire’s Tongue will offer captain Ben Stokes a faster bowling option and returns for his first Test since the 2023 Ashes.

Hamstring and pectoral injuries prevented him from adding to the two appearances he made that summer, in which he took 10 wickets.

The Zimbabwe Test begins a defining run for England’s red-ball side with a five-match series against India to follow from 20 June and the Ashes in Australia this winter.