Owais Shah has been included in England's 15-man squad for the tour of India.

The Middlesex batsman has been chosen in favour of Ravi Bopara, who was named as the Young Cricketer of the Year earlier this month after a prolific summer. With Michael Vaughan not considered due to a lack of form, Shah will get the chance to fight for a third Test cap. His debut came in India two years ago when he stepped in for the ill Alastair Cook and struck an imperious 88 in the series-levelling victory in Mumbai.

"Our decision to pick Owais Shah was based on the fact that he is an excellent player of spin who played a superb innings in India on his Test debut two years ago," Geoff Miller, the national selector, said.

"It's a further opportunity for him to build on his success with the one-day side this year and his inclusion in the squad will create real competition for places within the batting unit."

Although Vaughan has been omitted from the squad, Miller revealed that he could still play some part in India this winter.

"It is a possibility that he could link up with the Performance Squad, we could use that," Miller said. "There's a lot of opportunities for him to play.

"It's all about winning matches and sessions and we'll look after Vaughan as much as we can. We could look at that or send him out somewhere in the world.

"We see him as an integral part of our plans. There's lots of cricket coming up. He's played for England for 10 years and deserves a bit of a break."

"Andrew Strauss came back and did well (after a break) and Vaughan will hopefully do that as well. Going abroad might put his mind right. We will organise where he goes so he can try and get back in the side. We know what he is capable of."

Graeme Swann has been chosen as the second spinner, while Matthew Prior, the Sussex wicketkeeper, has also been recalled.

"Matt Prior has enjoyed an impressive domestic season with Sussex and having re-established himself in the England one-day side, he will now compete with Tim Ambrose for the position of Test wicketkeeper," Miller said. "Matt remains our first-choice keeper in the one-day game, but Tim will join the squad in India as reserve wicketkeeper for the duration of the one-day series."

With a second-string side also on the sub-continent during the tour and linking up with the full party for the second Test in Mumbai, England resisted the temptation to add a third spinner, relying on off-spinner Swann.

Adil Rashid, whose leg spin reaped 62 wickets for Yorkshire in Division One of the County Championship, will be among that group of developing players on standby for the Tests should injury or illness strike.

"The inclusion of Graeme Swann as off spinner provides us with a right-arm/left-arm slow bowling combination which we believe can be effective in India," Miller added.

"Graeme has bowled well in tandem with Monty Panesar when they were at Northamptonshire together and he will be keen to renew the partnership this winter."

Dawid Malan, the Twenty20 specialist, has been named in a 15-man England performance squad to shadow the Test tour of India.

The Middlesex batsman came to prominence with a televised hundred in a 20-over contest against a Lancashire side including Andrew Flintoff earlier this summer. His county colleague Eoin Morgan, who played for Ireland in the 2007 World Cup, joins him.

Malan is one of three South African-raised players in the party - Worcestershire opener Stephen Moore and Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott are the others - while Kent pace pair Amjad Khan, a Dane, and Robbie Joseph, brought up in Antigua, are also included.

England's 15-man squad for the two-Test tour of India this winter:

KP Pietersen (capt, Hampshire), TR Ambrose (wkt, Warwickshire), JM Anderson (Lancashire), IR Bell (Warwickshire), SCJ Broad (Nottinghamshire), PD Collingwood (Durham), AN Cook (Essex), A Flintoff (Lancashire), SJ Harmison (Durham), MS Panesar (Northamptonshire), MJ Prior (wkt, Sussex), OA Shah (Middlesex), RJ Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), AJ Strauss (Middlesex), GP Swann (Nottinghamshire).

England's 15-man performance squad to tour India this winter: TT Bresnan (Yorkshire)

M Davies (Durham), SM Davies (wkt, Worcestershire), JL Denly (Kent), RH Joseph (Kent), RWT Key (Kent) A Khan (Kent), SI Mahmood (Lancashire), DJ Malan (Middlesex), EJG Morgan (Middlesex), SC Moore (Worcestershire), LJ Plunkett (Durham), A Rashid (Yorkshire), OP Rayner (Sussex), IJL Trott (Warwickshire).

England squad for the Hong Kong Sixes, to be played on November 8 and 9: AD Mascarenhas (capt, Hampshire), TT Bresnan (Yorkshire), EC Joyce (Middlesex), DL Maddy (Warwickshire), GR Napier (Essex), IJL Trott (Warwickshire), GG Wagg (Derbyshire

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