Jos Buttler, Jack Leach return to England squad for fifth Test

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have named a 16-man squad for the fifth Test against India at Old Trafford starting September 10, and have confirmed that the duo of Jos Buttler and Jack Leach will be returning to the set-up. While Buttler, after playing the first three Tests, missed the fourth Test at The Oval due to the birth of his child, Leach was released to play for Somerset in the County Championship. 

The left-arm-spinner, whose last home appearance for England came in Ashes 2019, returned figures of 1/40 against Yorkshire in a game which his side, Somerset, lost by an innings and 33 runs.

Barring the two additions, there are no changes to the England squad with the exception of Sam Billings, who has been released to play for Kent. Billings had been called up as cover for Buttler, who missed the fourth Test.

Sam Curran and Dan Lawrence, both of whom did not play in the fourth Test, retain their places in the squad, while there is also place for Mark Wood, who is expected to start the fifth Test.

The Test, which will be played at Old Trafford, will commence on September 10. On Monday, India took a 2-1 lead in the series after beating England at The Oval by 157 runs.

England squad

Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)