India, May 13 -- England have named their first Test squad after the Ashes humiliation, and the selection carries the first clear scar of that 4-1 defeat in Australia.

Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, two of the most recognisable batting faces of the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era, have been left out of the squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's from June 4.

Crawley and Pope were not fringe names in England's Test project. Crawley was one of Bazball's loudest symbols at the top of the order, a batter backed for years because England valued his ability to force tempo even when his returns remained uneven. Pope was locked into the No. 3 role for a long stretch and had also captained England when Stokes was unavailable.

Their ...