Fast bowler Jofra Archer has returned to the 14-member England squad alongside James Anderson and Mark Wood for the series-deciding third and final Test against the West Indies starting at the Old Trafford here on Friday.
The 25-year-old Archer was dropped from the second Test for breaching the COVID-19 bio-secure protocol and slapped with a financial penalty of an undisclosed amount.
While Archer was dropped from the series-levelling second Test, Anderson and Wood were rested from the game.
Archer, Anderson and Wood will compete with the pace trio of Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran for places in England’s playing XI.
It will be interesting to see England’s pace attack for the third Test as the trio of Broad, Curran and Woakes has performed well in the second Test.
England, though, has retained the same batting line-up with out-of-form wicket-keeper batsman Joss Buttler getting yet another opportunity to return among runs.
The teams are locked at 1-1 after the first two games. West Indies had won the first Test by four wickets at Southampton before England levelled the series with a 113-run victory in the second game.
The ongoing series between England and West Indies, played in a bio-secure environment, marked the resumption of international cricket amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
While West Indies has the opportunity to register a first Test series win in England since 1988, the host is keen to reclaim the Wisden Trophy and maintain its six-year unbeaten record at home.
England squad for third Test: Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
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