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Following England’s commanding triumph over the West Indies in the opening Test at Lord’s, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has revised the team lineup for the upcoming second Test. This revision comes in response to James Anderson‘s retirement from Test cricket.
James Anderson retires as third-highest wicket-taker in Tests
The 41-year-old Anderson concluded his international career in an ideal fashion, demonstrating his enduring ability to perform at the highest level. The Lancashire pacer secured one wicket in the first innings and added 3-32 in the second, bringing his total to 704 Test wickets. This achievement placed him third on the all-time Test wicket-takers list after Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, allowing him to retire with a victorious farewell in an England jersey.
The new addition
The first Test served as Anderson’s swan song, prompting the ECB to introduce a new player to the squad for the second Test, set to commence on July 18 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Fast bowler Mark Wood has been brought into the 14-member squad, filling the vacancy left by Anderson. Wood’s most recent Test outing was in India in March, and he was not considered for the Lord’s Test due to his recent involvement in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Also READ: David Lloyd criticizes England for allegedly ‘forcing’ James Anderson into retirement
Fresh faces and bowling options
At Lord’s, Gus Atkinson made a remarkable debut, taking 12 wickets for 106 runs, marking the fourth-best match figures by a debutant in Test history. The squad also includes seamers Matthew Potts and the uncapped Dillon Pennington, adding depth to the bowling attack.
England’s squad for the second Test (Updated):
Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Dillon Pennington, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
