NEWS
Follow UsFollowing comprehensive wins at Lord's and Trent Bridge, England have decided to go in with an unchanged XI for the third Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston, starting July 26 (Friday). Ben Stokes' side won the first game at Lord's by an innings and 114 runs and followed that up with a 241-run victory the next match. Both Tests have lasted a combined seven days, and England will hope to put in a similarly dominant performance in the final game of the series.
"We're 2-0 up and we've had some very good all-round team performances, so it's a pretty easy decision to stick with the same XI," Stokes said ahead of the final Test.
"We want to wrap up the series and hopefully take it 3-0."
There were concerns over Mark Wood's fitness. After bowling one thunderbolt after another in Nottingham, he left the field due to an injury. As a result, there were reasons to believe that he could be rested for this Test, which could pave the way for one of Matthew Potts or the uncapped Dillon Pennington to make an appearance.
"You always check in with your bowlers after every Test and go with what they say and what they feel, and [Mark Wood] is ready, firing, and good to go again," Stokes said.
However, Stokes has kept the doors open for Potts and Pennington to show their mantle during England's next Test home series against Sri Lanka next month. "I think that [opportunities] will come naturally with six Test matches," Stokes said.
"Fast bowling is very hard, so I think naturally we will see a change in the bowling line-up at some point. It's tough to not play. For Pottsy and for Dillon, I think it's great for them to be in the squad.
"Pottsy had a great 2022 when he first came in and now finds himself back in, and Dillon, it's his first time in. They've worked incredibly hard, so if the opportunity does come around for either of them, they'll be ready to go."
As far as West Indies are concerned, Gudakesh Motie has recovered from flu and will draft straight into the XI in place of Kevin Sinclair, who broke his forearm after being hit by a bouncer by Wood. Unfortunately, though, Shamar Joseph could be out due to the flu, and that could pave the way for Akeem Jordan to make his Test debut.
England XI for third Test vs West Indies: Ben Stokes (c), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (vc), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood.
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