London, July 9 (IANS) Jofra Archer has been named in England’s playing XI for the third Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, as the hosts look to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Edgbaston. The Sussex pacer replaces Josh Tongue for the Test at Lord’s, starting Thursday, July 10
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series is finely poised at 1-1 following India’s 336-run victory at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Archer has played 13 Tests for England and picked 42 wickets at an average of 31.04. Previously, Archer made a return to the England Test set-up for the first time since February 2021 after being named in the squad for the second Test against India.
A recurrence of an elbow injury and stress fracture in the back meant Archer was largely sidelined from playing Tests for England after February 2021.
There are a lot of question marks over the England side after they lost to India for the first time at Edgbaston Stadium in the second Test. India looked in control throughout the five days in Birmingham and dominated both the English batters and bowlers.
With the game at Lord’s expected to provide a different kind of wicket to Headingley and Edgbaston, Archer’s inclusion could prove vital to the Ben Stokes-led side.
Tongue, 27, is the player who made way for Archer in the playing XI and will likely be feeling unlucky as he is currently the leading wicket taker in the series with 11 scalps to his name, one more than Akash Deep who cemented his place in the squad during the second Test.
Gus Atkinson misses out on the playing XI after having been added to the England squad ahead of the third Test. Atkinson, 27, has not featured since injuring his hamstring in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May.
England Playing XI:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer Shoaib Bashir
–IANS
aaa/
