Following a heavy defeat to India, England is set to make changes to its pace attack. In the first two Tests of the series, England’s three main pacers—Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Chris Woakes—have been heavily used, each bowling over 77 overs.
To manage physical fatigue and the pressure of continuous play, the English team is bringing changes to their pace lineup. Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Sam Cook, and Jamie Overton have been added to the squad as alternative bowlers.
Speaking on the matter, captain Ben Stokes said,
“We’ve spent a lot of time on the field this series and bowled many overs. The next match is coming up quickly, so we have to make decisions based on the team’s fitness. It’s only natural that changes will happen.”
He added,
“We’ve had some brilliant wins before, and also suffered big defeats. I, along with the team, know how to stay mentally steady through the ups and downs. Our main focus now is to bounce back quickly from this loss.”
Stokes reiterated,
“We’ve had some brilliant wins before, and also suffered big defeats. I, along with the team, know how to stay mentally steady through the ups and downs. Our main focus now is to bounce back quickly from this loss.”
The 336-run loss to India at Edgbaston ranks as one of the heaviest defeats for England under Stokes’ captaincy. However, the skipper is not disheartened. He is hopeful of starting afresh and bouncing back stronger. To achieve that, sharpening the bowling unit is crucial. According to England’s coach, Jofra Archer is now ready.
When asked about Archer, England coach Brendon McCullum said,
“He’s fully fit and ready to play. Some of our bowlers have played back-to-back Tests, so changes are inevitable. Archer will definitely be in consideration.”
Archer has not played a Test match since February 2021. However, during the break at Edgbaston, he was seen bowling regularly, which is a strong indication of his return to fitness.
England Squad:
Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, and Chris Woakes.
