Monty Panesar at the CCI on Tuesday. (PTI)

Mumbai: Ian Blackwell believes his aggressive style of batting could earn him selection ahead of the two other England spinners for the first Test against India next month.

“I’d like to think that I could perhaps do a job with the ball and possibly score a lot of runs as well,” he told a news conference on Tuesday.

“If they do want to go along the lines of a spinner who can bat just to lend strength to the batting order then it must give me some sort of edge.”

The Somerset allrounder is vying for a place with Shaun Udal and Monty Panesar when the series gets underway in Nagpur on March 1.

Ashley Giles’ absence from the touring party due to injury left England without their first-choice spinner and the selectors opted for three players who have only Udal’s three Test caps between them.

With Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones all but assured of starting places in the first of three Tests, Blackwell feels the trio of spinners are chasing one berth.

“Looking at the inexperience of the three spinners, I think England will probably look to use a spinner as a holding role. This is an opportunity to show England that Ashley is not the only left-arm spinner in the country.

“It’s a great opportunity for me and Monty to show what we can do. Everyone has to start somewhere.”

“Udal is almost in the role of Giles, but a right-handed batsman,” he said. “So he is probably a stock bowler who can offer a few runs. Monty is the better bowler out of the three. He is an attacking left-arm spinner.”

Meanwhile, England have appointed Kevin Shine as successor to bowling coach Troy Cooley, with the Somerset academy director expected to join up with the squad touring India in the next few days.

The 36-year-old Shine, who took 249 wickets in his first-class career, also coached the English county side from 2001-2004.(Reuters)