New-look England try to do without Stokes
LONDON: England will be without Ben Stokes while India could make changes too for the second Test at Lord’s on Thursday.
Stokes played a starring role in England’s 31-run win in the first Test of a five-match series at Edgbaston last week, including taking the wicket of India captain Virat Kohli, who had been anchoring the tourists’ runchase. But Stokes was omitted by England because he is in court this week on a criminal charge of affray.
Fellow pace-bowling allrounder Chris Woakes has been called up in his place to the England squad, with uncapped Surrey batsman Ollie Pope selected instead of Dawid Malan, dropped after a run of low scores.
But in a dry English summer that has seen pitches more receptive to slow bowling than usual, England could recall offspinner Moeen Ali to partner leg-break bowler Adil Rashid even though England captain Joe Root bowls occasional offbreaks. Root confirmed on Wednesday that Pope would bat at number four but that England would delay a decision on whether to play Ali or Woakes instead of Stokes until the morning of the match, with the uncapped Jamie Porter released from the 13-man squad.
“Ollie Pope will come in and bat at four,” said Root.
That England won their 1,000th Test owed much to Pope’s fellow 20-year-old Surrey rising star Sam Curran.
As well as taking five wickets in his main role as a left-arm swing bowler, Curran’s sparkling second-innings 63, his maiden Test fifty, enabled England to set India a tricky target of 194.
‘TOUGH CHOICE’ India too could make a top-order change with the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara waiting in the wings if struggling opener Shikhar Dhawan is omitted.
They also have the option of playing a second-spinner, be it orthodox left-armer Ravindra Jadeja or left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya the man most likely to miss out if either slow bowler is selected.
“It’s a good choice, a tough one too,” Bharat Arun, India’s bowling coach, told reporters at Lord’s on Tuesday.
“We really need to look at any change in strategy, depending on the wicket.”
Root confirmed that Pope would bat at number four but that England would delay a decision on whether to play Ali or Woakes instead of Stokes