When you look at the squad there's no spare batter. Lawrence, Livingstone, Jacks could all bat 6 or 7 and bowl. So, having thought about it, my assumption is Foakes is picked to play. Can't see why they'd take him otherwise. Pope could deputise, at least in the short term, for Bairstow as keeper.
With regard to Pope, my memory of him is looking absolutely clueless against spin last time in India. England did pretty well after he got injured in the Ashes (not to say it was because he was out) so they may think in this series it might be better to play someone else at 3. Brook would probably be better suited to bat at 3 in India than he was in England, Stokes could do it and with spin coming on a lot earlier having Root there to come in would make sense to me.
It feels like they might try some things that seem crazy but are probably be well thought out strategies. Like I said earlier, pretty much every test England play now is entertaining, so going up against the toughest team to beat in home conditions I can't imagine it won't deliver.
