The ECB has announced England’s Playing 11 for the second test against India, which is set to begin on Wednesday.
With Ben Stokes-led side leads the series 1-0 in the Tendulkar-Anderson trophy, they have named an unchanged lineup for the second match. Jofra Archer was added to the England squad after recovering from a finger injury, but was not added to the lineup.
Archer last played in a test match against India in Ahmedabad more than four years ago. He has struggled with an elbow issue that has affected his bowling arm in recent years.
The 30-year old recently made a comeback in County Cricket just a few weeks ago, where he offered promising signs of regaining his rhythm. His performance there was enought to earn him a spot back in national setup.
Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes will continue as the front-line pacers. The ECB confirmed that the 30-year-old’s arrival was delayed due to a family emergency.
Meanwhile, India is likely to miss out services of the star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, as he is expected to be rested for the second match, which could make a change in India’s line-up.
India’s assistant coach also confirmed that India is likely to place two spinners during the Birmingham test.
The second match will be played between 02 and 07 July 2025 on Edgbaston, Birmingham.
England Playing 11 for 2nd India Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
