England vs India 4th Test: Liam Dawson Returns After 8-Year Gap

England's Liam Dawson is in line for a Test comeback after missing over 100 Tests since his last appearance in 2017. If selected at Old Trafford, he’ll join an elite group of cricketers with the longest gaps between Test appearances.

Liam Dawson (Image Source: Google)

England has recalled left-arm spinner Liam Dawson for the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, Manchester. Shoaib Bashir’s absence due to a fractured finger on his left hand opened up a vacancy, and the selectors turned to 35-year-old Dawson. His last Test appearance for England was in July 2017 against South Africa.

Dawson’s consistent performance in the County Championship—49 first-class wickets in 2023 followed by 54 in 2024, by far his most successful campaigns—earned him a deserved recall. In nine matches this summer, he has taken a relatively modest 21 wickets.

So, Liam Dawson is in line to make a Test comeback for England after eight years. He is Hampshire’s spinning all-rounder. Will he be lucky this time to actually play? He was earlier recalled to England’s white-ball squad for the series against West Indies. Dawson has now been picked ahead of centrally contracted Jack Leach and all-rounders Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks for the Test squad.

Dawson played his three Tests in 2016 and 2017 but has a strong domestic record—371 first-class wickets, including 15 five-wicket hauls.

He was also in contention for last year’s India tour but opted for a lucrative SA20 stint with Sunrisers Eastern Cape when he wasn’t given any guarantee of being the first-choice spinner. It's still unclear if such a guarantee exists this time.

Dawson still remembers his last two Test caps from 2017 against South Africa with a bitter taste. Then-captain Joe Root and coach Trevor Bayliss reportedly made him the ‘first-choice spinner,’ but it turned out to be a ploy to relieve pressure from Moeen Ali—who was the actual first-choice and went on to claim 10 wickets at Lord's and 4 at Headingley. Dawson picked up 5 wickets in those two Tests and was dropped soon after.

If Dawson plays at Old Trafford, it would mark a return after 102 Tests for England since his last appearance at Nottingham in July 2017. He made his debut against India in December 2016 at Chennai.

That Chennai Test was also notable for Karun Nair’s triple century. Interestingly, Nair also made a comeback in the current series, having missed 77 Tests. The 2016 Chennai Test has now become a milestone match for two rare comeback stories.

If selected, Dawson will become one of only a handful of players to return after missing 100 or more consecutive Tests. Here are some notable examples:

Longest gap for England: Gareth Batty missed 142 Tests (2005–2016). His comeback match in 2016 saw Dawson make his debut. Incidentally, Batty’s last Test in 2005 was also against Bangladesh.

Other long gaps for England: Martin Bicknell (114 Tests), Derek Shackleton (103), Les Jackson (96).

Dawson's place in history: If he plays, Dawson will rank fourth among England players for most Tests missed between appearances and the seventh globally to return after a 100-Test gap.

• India’s record: Jaydev Unadkat missed 118 Tests between Dec 2010 and Dec 2022.
• Captain on comeback: Floyd Reifer (West Indies) missed 109 Tests but returned as captain in 2009 due to a players' strike.
• Longest career gap: Younis Ahmed (Pakistan) waited over 17 years between Tests and returned at age 40.

So far, none of the players with 100+ missed Tests have played more than 10 Tests in total. Gareth Batty and Karun Nair top the list with nine. The Old Trafford Test could see Karun Nair reaching 10, and Dawson starting his second act.

Liam Dawson is on the verge of joining a rare and remarkable club—a story of patience, persistence, and unfinished business in Test cricket.