Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 12 (ANI): England skipper Joe Root on Friday confirmed that pace duo of Jofra Archer and James Anderson will be available for the third Test against India.
Archer will miss out after having an injection in his right elbow while Anderson has been rested for the second Test to make him available for the last two Tests.
“Jofra bowled better than his figure suggested in the first game. Brilliant start back into the Test team for him, of course, it’s a setback but the good news is it looks like he will get himself ready for the third game. So as long as he uses the next couple of weeks wisely and looks after him, he should be fully fit and ready to go for the rest of the series,” Root said in a virtual press conference on Friday.
“Everyone was in favour of him (Jimmy) being available for this game but you also look at the bigger picture. Ideally, if he is available for the two of the last three that is the huge asset for the team,” the skipper added.
Ben Foakes, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, and Moeen Ali are likely to play the second Test.
Root also announced England’s final XII for the second Test: Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Joe Root(C), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Olly Stone.
Root feels that the final call between Stone and Woakes will be made after looking at the pitch condition.
“He (Stone) has made enough of every opportunity he had. he is certainly looking very good in and around training. We are looking at sort of players who might not have a lot of game time but there is the freshness of mind, freshness of body and a huge amount of excitement about playing. I think that can really work in our favour going into this match,” Root said.
“The way we picked the 12 players we got two ways to go — we can have a similar balance team to the last Test match with an extra bit of pace from Olly Stone or we can have Chris Woakes coming into the fray and really capitalise on that reverse swinging control and try to build pressure. We will make those decisions before the match,” he added.
England have dropped spinner Dom Bess and named Moeen Ali in the final XII. Root said that Bess does not need to feel sad and he needs to work on his consistency.
“It wasn’t an easy decision. Dom’s contributed fantastic in the three games and made a real impact. With him missing out, the messaging for him moving forward is the key to working at that consistency of his game and delivering that skill time and time again. He is very young and very much at the start, it doesn’t mean he will be pushed back down,” Root said.
The second Test of the series will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai with 50 per cent spectators on Saturday. (ANI)