England hand debuts to Cox and Baker for second Test against New Zealand
London, June 15
England have named a refreshed side for the second Test against New Zealand, starting at The Oval on Wednesday, by handing debuts to batter Jordan Cox and fast bowler Sonny Baker. The duo are a part of four changes from the team that won at Lord's by 115 runs.
Matt Fisher returns for his first Test in more than four years, while Jofra Archer is back to spearhead a four‑man pace attack. The wholesale forced changes to England's playing eleven have come after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were stood down following them breaking the midnight curfew, while Ollie Robinson, who picked seven wickets on return to the Test team at Lord's, has been ruled out due to a right knee soreness.
Shoaib Bashir also misses out as England opted against a specialist spinner, with Joe Root set to captain in Stokes' absence. Jamie Smith retains his place behind the stumps, though Somerset's James Rew has been placed on standby, with the former's partner due to give birth to their second child.
Cox, 23, comes into the side after hitting a double‑hundred for Essex in the County Championship. He was previously denied a debut in New Zealand in 2024 after breaking his thumb in practice. Baker, who has played just 12 first‑class matches, has long been on England's radar and featured for the Lions in Australia, though he had difficult ODI and T20I debuts.
New Zealand are yet to confirm their playing eleven following Kane Williamson's sudden retirement. Rachin Ravindra is expected to bat at number four, with either Henry Nicholls or Will Young likely to replace Williamson at number three.
England playing eleven for second Test: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root (captain), Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Jordan Cox, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher, and Sonny Baker
— IANS
Reader Comments
Stokes being dropped for breaking curfew shows England's discipline standards. In India, we've seen our players fined for similar things, but rarely dropped for a Test match. Kohli's captaincy era had strict protocols though. Good to see England maintaining standards!
Fresh faces are exciting but 4 changes is a lot. Losing both Stokes and Robinson in one go is tough. Cox earned his chance with that double ton though. As an Australian, I'd say England are taking a risk, but it's the kind of bold move that could pay off.
No specialist spinner at The Oval? That's a gamble. Root will captain and bowl part-time spin. Feels like England are underestimating New Zealand. After Williamson's retirement, NZ might come harder. Should have picked a proper spinner like Bashir. 🤔
Jordan Cox finally getting his debut after that thumb injury in NZ last year! Good for him. Interesting that England are sticking with four seamers. The Oval pitch usually helps spinners later in the game. But if Archer and Fisher are fit, they could run through NZ.
As a neutral, I'm excited to see Archer back. He's been through so many injuries. Also, Cox's county form has been phenomenal. But dropping a spinner at The Oval seems odd - even Root's part-time offies might not be enough. NZ without Williamson is a big blow too.
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