Follow UsEngland have announced their playing XI for the second Ashes Test starting on Wednesday, June 28, at the Home of Cricket, with Josh Tongue replacing Moeen Ali.
The off-spinner suffered a calloused spinning finger and struggled to grip the ball in the first Test after coming out of retirement upon Ben Stokes' insistence.
Tongue made his debut for the national side in the one-off Test against Ireland at the same venue earlier this month and scalped five wickets in the second innings to power the team to a 10-wicket win.
While he impressed Stokes with his versatility in the one-off clash, it was his ability to trouble Steven Smith in the County Championship that helped fast-track his selection to the Test set-up.
Playing for Worcestershire, the 25-year-old dismissed Smith during a county game against Sussex by an inswinging delivery for 30 which resulted in grabbing a lot of eyeballs.
Tongue with the huge scalp of Steve Smith☝️
— Worcestershire County Cricket Club (@WorcsCCC) May 5, 2023
🍐#WeAreWorcestershire pic.twitter.com/hECOz0oBNM
"I dreamt as a kid about playing in an Ashes, so to get the nod now is that dream come true. It would be great to get Steve Smith out again. I was pretty happy the first time," he said in a conversation with The Mail.
The right-arm pacer is excited to feature in his first Ashes Test and stated that the atmosphere in the stadium and across England is something he has never experienced.
"That first ball Zak Crawley hit to the boundary — the noise was just unbelievable. From the moment I stepped into the dressing room ahead of the Ireland game, I’ve been made to feel so welcome. Whatever Stokesy asks me to do, I’m here to do it as best I can."
"I knew the step up to international cricket would be a big one. To then get five wickets against Ireland was an incredible feeling and should give me confidence against Australia," he concluded.