Follow UsEngland are 1-0 up in the series and have now been bolstered with the addition of Jofra Archer to their Test squad. The right-arm pacer has been included in England’s squad for the second Test at Edgbaston, his first red-ball call-up in four years, which begins on July 2 (Wednesday).
Due to the short turnaround between the second and third Tests, the Three Lions would want to rotate and rest their pacers, and Archer’s inclusion could be vital. The right-arm speedster could be a like-for-like replacement for Josh Tongue, who could get a rest, given his stellar record at Lord’s, the venue for the third Test.
Archer has an incredible record against Indian skipper Gill as well, which is why his inclusion could be a no-brainer.
Chris Woakes will continue to be that new ball-bowling option for England, while Brydon Carse will be the workhorse in that setup. Barring that, there aren’t too many worries over form in the batting department for the hosts, with vice-captain Ollie Pope scoring a century in the first innings of the first Test.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir