England have confirmed their playing XI for the second Test against Sri Lanka, with a notable change in their bowling attack. A pacer name has been drafted in to replace the injured Mark Wood, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the series due to a right muscle strain. This change is the only alteration made by the hosts for the second Test of the three-match series, which is set to commence on August 29 at Lord’s.
Replacement of Mark Wood
Right-arm fast-bowler Olly Stone, who last appeared for England in June 2021 during a home series against New Zealand, is set to make his return to Test cricket. Stone, aged 30, has played three Test matches for England, claiming 10 wickets at an average of 19.40. His inclusion comes after Wood, who was a key part of England’s pace attack, suffered a series-ending thigh injury during the third day of the Old Trafford Test against Sri Lanka.
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ECB’s selection strategy
Initially, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) called up left-arm seamer Josh Hull as a replacement for Wood. However, Hull has not been included in the squad for the Lord’s Test. Instead, England have opted for the experienced Stone, who was originally part of the squad but was released for County Championship duties alongside uncapped batter Jordan Cox.
Injury impact and squad update
England have faced several injury setbacks leading up to this Test. Captain Ben Stokes remains out due to an injury sustained in the Hundred 2024, and opener Zak Crawley is unavailable due to a fractured finger incurred during the West Indies Tests. Despite these challenges, the rest of the squad remains unchanged from the first Test. Dan Lawrence, who stepped in as an opener in place of Crawley, has retained his position after scoring 30 and 34 in the series opener.
England’s playing XI for the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka:
Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir
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