England newcomers all bring something different to the table

Uncapped trio Rory Burns, Joe Denly and Olly Stone have been named in England's Test squad to tour Sri Lanka.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at what the newcomers would bring to Joe Root's side.

Rory Burns

The Surrey batsman was overlooked on numerous occasions in the long and fruitless search for Alastair Cook's opening partner. Now he has the chance to be his successor. The statistics are compelling, with the 28-year-old the only man in the first division of the Specsavers County Championship to pass 1,000 this season. It is no flash in the pan either, having hit the same marker in each of the last five campaigns. The 28-year-old's technique is not the prettiest but England are in desperate need of an effective player at the head of the innings, not one who is simply easy on the eye.

Joe Denly

The last time the 32-year-old wore England colours was in a low-key Twenty20 match against Pakistan in Dubai. He and his then opening partner Jonathan Trott were soon usurped by Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb in the sprint format and that might well have been that. Gradually he rebuilt his game, gaining confidence from overseas stints as a roving hand for hire and he has impressed sufficiently in first-class cricket to earn a new chance. His increasingly handy leg-spin might have tipped the scales.

Olly Stone

At 24 the Warwickshire paceman is not as raw as some of the players thrown into the Test arena since Ed Smith took over as national selector. He has only played 32 first-class games in six years, though, meaning he has relatively few miles on the clock. He has emerged as the chief beneficiary of England's traumatic Ashes trip last winter, when the need to unearth a tall, 90mph bowler who broke the traditional mould became urgent. Although he has not managed a full season of red-ball cricket his productivity, average and strike-rate all suggest he is playing a level below his standard in Division Two.