Key Points

After an exhausting five-day Test at Old Trafford, where England bowlers were made to toil for over 250 overs, the team has added Overton to the squad. The decision comes with just a three-day turnaround before the series decider, as the management looks to manage the wear and tear on the bowling unit. The 31-year-old will provide valuable depth if the side decides to change its playing XI.

England skipper Ben Stokes, while speaking in the post-match interview, confirmed that they will make a decision after assessing the bowlers in the coming days, adding that his side is lucky to have an array of fast bowlers that they can call in at any time.

“Even before this Test match we got into it, obviously there were those conversations around how much effort and energy has gone in, especially from the bowling department. Another quick turnaround before The Oval, so we'll have to use these few days wisely and we'll just have to check up on everyone and see how they're going. We're very lucky at the moment that we've got a battery of fast bowlers who we can call at any point in time, so it'll be assessed over the next couple of days and then we'll make that decision,” said Stokes.

Overton made his Test debut in July 2022, in the third Test against New Zealand at Headingley, and has not made another appearance in the whites since. He joins Gus Atkinson as a potential fresh bowling option in the England squad.

After claiming 52 wickets in 2024, marking a solid debut year, Atkinson suffered an injury in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe and has not played since.

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, and Chris Woakes.

- IANS