Tongue in shock trial for Ashes
Worcestershire seamer in England XI to face Ireland Selection is a crushing blow for Lord’s specialist Woakes
England will hand a shock Test debut to Josh Tongue against Ireland at Lord’s tomorrow at the expense of Chris Woakes, offering the Worcestershire seamer an 11th-hour Ashes audition.
Tongue has never played at Lord’s and was a late addition to England’s squad last week because of injuries to premier quicks James Anderson and Ollie Robinson. But having impressed in the nets, the 25-year-old has been catapulted into the XI, as cap 711, ahead of Woakes, a seasoned international and Lord’s specialist.
It is a brutal call on Woakes, who had been in line to play his first Test match since last March. So certain did it seem that he would make the XI at a ground where he averages 61.2 with the bat and 11.3 with the ball that he was wheeled out for media duties two days before the match.
He spoke of a “dark” summer in 2022, when he was sidelined by a knee injury and wondered if he would add to his 45 Test caps. That wait will now last a little longer.
Otherwise, England’s XI is as anticipated in the absence of a number of seamers. Anderson, who bowled a significant amount at Lord’s yesterday, and Robinson are on ice until the Ashes, while Mark Wood will return to the North East on paternity leave this week. That means Stuart Broad will lead the attack at Lord’s, with 24-year-old Matthew Potts – set to play his first Test since last summer – and Tongue alongside.
Jofra Archer is out for the entire Test summer with a recurrence of the stress fracture of his right elbow, while Olly Stone is out until at least the third Ashes Test with a hamstring injury.
Other pace hopefuls such as Jamie Overton and Brydon Carse are also sidelined with injury, opening up the opportunity for Tongue. It is clear that England are desperate to try him out before the Ashes, where he may yet have a role to play.
Captain Ben Stokes is named at No6, but it is unclear whether he will bowl, while Jonny Bairstow is recalled after injury as wicketkeeper-batsman at No7.
It has been a rapid rise for Tongue, who returned to red-ball cricket only last September following a rare shoulder injury – called thoracic outlet syndrome – that meant the bowler was unable to feel his entire right arm. He required two operations, and it left him contemplating retirement from the game.
But he battled back and, having been a player of national interest for some years, was taken on
England Lions’ tour of Sri Lanka this year, where an eight-wicket haul caught the selectors’ eye.
The seamer then became the first bowler to dismiss Sussex’s Steve Smith in county cricket this summer, trapping the Australian lbw for 30 at New Road at the start of this month.
While he has a strong overall first-class record – 162 wickets at 26 – this season his average is north of 41. But, according to head coach Brendon Mccullum, England see a “big, strong lad” who could make the step up to Test level. “He looks like he bowls quite fast and has some real skills,” said Mccullum on Monday. “He is obviously a bit of a rough diamond. He’s had some injuries throughout his career and it is nice for a guy like him to have an extended period this summer to push his case.
“We think he has got something really exciting and hence we brought him into the squad. He looks like he has an immense amount of talent.”