Good news for India ahead of 2nd Test vs England as England surprisingly ignore key pacer from playing XI due to unexpected personal emergency situation.
New Delhi:The England cricket team has announced its playing XI for the second Test match against India starting on 2 July (Wednesday) at Edgbaston Cricket Stadium, Birmingham. After winning the Leeds Test by five wickets, the Ben Stokes-led English team is leading the five-match series 1-0 and wants to extend this lead.
Jofra Archer did not get a place, fans disappointed
The team announcement was a bit disappointing as fast bowler Jofra Archer has not been included in it. He was expected to play in a Test match after four years, but England has retained the same old playing XI. Archer was definitely included in the squad, but was not selected in the final 11.
Personal reasons for Archer’s absence
There has been no official statement from England regarding Archer’s absence yet, but according to local media reports, Archer has had to leave the team camp due to a family emergency. However, he can rejoin the team a day before the game. It is not clear whether he would have got a chance in the final 11 if this was not the case.
Return to first-class after a long time
Jofra Archer made a comeback to first-class cricket for Sussex against Durham last week. In this match, he took one wicket for 32 runs in 18 overs. This was the first red-ball match he played since May 2021.
Suspense remains over India’s playing XI
While England have announced their playing XI about 48 hours before the second consecutive Test, no announcement has been made by the Indian team yet. Some changes are believed to be certain in the visiting team, but they will be made public by captain Shubman Gill at the time of the toss.
Doubt over Jasprit Bumrah’s availability
The biggest decision India will have to take is regarding Jasprit Bumrah, as the team can rest him keeping in mind his workload.
England’s playing XI is as follows
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
