England has announced a refreshed lineup for the upcoming second Test against New Zealand at The Oval, introducing debutants Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker. This decision marks four changes from the previous winning team at Lord’s. Matt Fisher returns after more than four years for his first Test, while Jofra Archer leads a four-man pace attack. The alterations were necessitated by Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson’s curfew violation, leading to their exclusion, along with Ollie Robinson’s absence due to a knee issue.
Shoaib Bashir will not feature in the upcoming match as England opts against a specialist spinner, with Joe Root taking over the captaincy in Stokes’ stead. Jamie Smith retains his wicketkeeping role, but James Rew stands by as a backup due to his partner’s imminent childbirth. Jordan Cox, who recently scored a double-century for Essex in the County Championship, earns his spot after missing out on a debut in 2024 due to injury. Sonny Baker, with limited first-class experience but a history with England’s Lions, is set to make his debut after challenging starts in ODIs and T20Is.
New Zealand is yet to finalize their playing eleven post-Kane Williamson’s retirement. Rachin Ravindra is expected to bat at number four, with Henry Nicholls or Will Young likely to fill the void at number three.
The England playing eleven for the second Test includes Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root (captain), Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Jordan Cox, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher, and Sonny Baker.
