IND vs ENG 2nd Test: England officially announced their playing XI for the 2nd Test against India, which is scheduled to start on July 2 at Edgbaston, Birmingham. In a surprise, Jofra Archer will not be playing as he was forced to pull out because of a family crisis, postponing his much-awaited comeback to Test cricket.
Jofra Archer Test Return Put Back on Hold
Following his demonstration of match fitness with an 18-over spell for Sussex in a recent County Championship match, Archer was set to replace Josh Tongue in the side. His withdrawal, however, ensures that Tongue keeps his place in the XI, with another chance to seal his position in the team.
England Keep Winning Combination Following Headingley Triumph
England’s unchanged team is on the strength of an impressive effort in the opening Test at Headingley, where they won against India by five wickets. The win was laid upon a commanding batting performance, with two of the top three batsmen making centuries, and gritty efforts from others such as Joe Root, Zak Crawley, and Harry Brook, who all made half-centuries.
Though England captain Ben Stokes did not make much of an impact with his batting, the top and middle order looked settled. Now, attention turns to the bowling unit, which seemed mainly ineffective in many phases of the first Test.
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Bowling Unit Under the Scanner Ahead of IND vs ENG 2nd Test
Experienced all-rounder Chris Woakes, who has an impressive home record, produced just a single wicket at Headingley. Young spinning sensation Shoaib Bashir was also costly and lacked control. With the Edgbaston pitch likely to provide more turn, England are hoping Bashir will have more influence. He’ll be able to draw on the advice of new bowling consultant Moeen Ali, who has experience in these conditions.
England Eye Series Lead With Victory in IND vs ENG 2nd Test
A second successive win in this five-match series would hand England a dominant 2-0 lead, putting them in an excellent position to seal the series. With batting sorted, everything else will rest on how the bowlers adapt to more spin-friendly conditions.
England Playing XI for IND vs ENG 2nd Test at Edgbaston
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Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Harry Brook
Jamie Smith(WK)
Ben Stokes (C)
Chris Woakes
Brydon Carse
Josh Tongue
Shoaib Bashir
India’s probable XI for the 2nd Test vs England
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.
Key Takeaways for IND vs ENG 2nd Test
Jofra Archer out with family emergency, pushing back Test return.
England keeps the XI from the first Test.
Bowling attack under pressure to deliver on spin-friendly Edgbaston.
IND vs ENG 2nd Test starts July 2 with England looking to double series lead.
Emerald pitch witnessed in initial images may suit pacers in the early part.
Curator might cut the grass like at Headingley, paving the way for batting conditions.
India may consider Kuldeep Yadav to exploit England’s spin vulnerability.
Match begins on July 2, with England leading the series 1-0.
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