England wanted Mark Wood, its fastest bowler. (More Cricket News)
Instead, it opted to give an Ashes series debut to Josh Tongue as the fourth seamer in an all-pace attack against Australia in the second test starting on Wednesday at Lord’s.
Tongue replaced spinner Moeen Ali in the only change to the side which lost the first Test at Edgbaston by two wickets. Wood’s express pace hasn’t featured for England since December because of an elbow injury.
“We felt that he could definitely start the game,” England captain Ben Stokes said on Tuesday, “but with conversations we felt the extra week with buildup and getting his loads up would give him a better chance and an opportunity to play a full part from (the third Test at) Leeds onwards.”
Worcestershire fast bowler Tongue made his Test debut this month against Ireland on a slow pitch at Lord’s and he took 5-66 in the second innings of a 10-wicket win.
Stokes called him a “like-for-like” choice for Wood.
“The only thing that’s different is that it’s a bigger occasion for him,” he said.
“We turned up here and saw there was quite a bit of grass on the wicket. Traditionally, Lord’s has offered more for the seamers and with how Mo’s finger was last week — it’s actually recovered really well — we thought we would get more out of our fourth bowler being Josh.”
Ali badly blistered his right index finger at Edgbaston because of a heavy workload after coming out of test retirement. Coach Brendon McCullum said Ali would play if fully fit and he appeared to prove it on Monday at training.
But England will use Joe Root’s part-time off-breaks beside a seam attack of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson and Tongue.
Stokes, coming off a knee injury, also said he hopes to bowl more after hurling 14 overs and taking two wickets last week.
“Being able to bowl that longer spell on the last day was another confidence boost for me,” he said. “At the moment things are looking good and hopefully I can play even more of a part with the ball this game.”
England: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, James Anderson.
