England name four changes in playing 11 for 2nd Test against New Zealand
London, June 15
England have announced their playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand at the Kia Oval, which begins on Wednesday, with Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker set to make their debuts as part of four changes to the team that won by 115 runs at Lord's.
Matt Fisher returns for his first Test match since making his debut on the tour of the Caribbean in 2022, while Jofra Archer also joins a four-pronged pace attack, as per the ECB website.
England have made several changes ahead of the second Test, with Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson stood down after breaching team protocols during celebrations following the 115-run victory in the series opener.
In Stokes' absence, Joe Root will lead the side as interim captain.
The hosts have also been forced into further adjustments, with Ollie Robinson ruled out due to a knee injury sustained during training. Meanwhile, spinner Shoaib Bashir has been left out after conditions at Lord's suggested his off-spin would not play a significant role.
"James Rew was our back-up batter in the squad, but that was very much to cover the top-six role. Jordan Cox was obviously over at the IPL. We wanted to see him come back and see what he could do before we thrust him into that role for the first time," Brendon McCullum, England's head coach, said on Monday.
New Zealand are yet to confirm their team for the second Test.
England XI for second Test: 1 Emilio Gay, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk)*, 7 Jordan Cox, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Josh Tongue, 10 Matt Fisher, 11 Sonny Baker.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who follows both IPL and international cricket, it's good to see Jordan Cox getting a chance after his IPL stint. But benching Bashir despite his promise feels risky. Conditions in London might still help spinners later. England's pace attack looks strong though! 🏏
Breaking team protocols after a win? That's not a good look for England. They won the first Test fair and square but such indiscipline can hurt team morale. Root is a good interim choice though - calm and experienced. Let's see how the new bowling attack performs without Stokes.
Mixed feelings about this. Excited to see Sonny Baker debut - been hearing good things about him. But dropping Shoaib Bashir seems premature. He's got real potential. And having four pace bowlers at The Oval might backfire if the pitch turns. Still, England is backing their aggressive approach.
Root back as captain! That takes me back to the 2019 Ashes. He's a solid leader though his captaincy record was mixed. The team looks experimental with so many changes. New Zealand will smell blood after seeing this. Should be a cracking Test match! 🔥
Respect to Brendon McCullum for giving chances to IPL returnees like Cox. That's smart squad management. But I worry this disruptive approach might hurt England's momentum. They dominated the first Test. Now with four changes, it's almost a new team. Hope Fisher and Baker are ready for Test cricket.
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