Stokes back in England team as Curran drops out

After being found not guilty of affray, Ben Stokes is back in the England team to face India in the third Test, starting on Saturday.

Published : Aug 17, 2018 18:52 IST

Ben Stokes has been recalled to the England side for the third Test against India, with fellow all-rounder Sam Curran making way.

Stokes, a key figure in the first match, was absent last time out at Lord's as he stood trial in Bristol on a charge of affray.

The Durham man was found not guilty and his return to the England squad was quickly confirmed, with the 27-year-old now named to face India at Trent Bridge.

Captain Joe Root was left with a selection dilemma as both Curran and Chris Woakes, Stokes' replacement, made compelling cases for their inclusion in Nottingham.

Curran was the man of the match at Edgbaston as he delivered knocks of 24 and - crucially - 63 with the bat, while collecting five wickets in just his second Test, before Woakes thrived in the next match with a sublime unbeaten 137.

Spinner Adil Rashid was involved only on the periphery of the match at Lord's, but Root opted to cull one of the all-rounders, admitting the decision to leave out 20-year-old Curran was a tough one.

"It was one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make as captain," said the skipper. "It's about us as a squad delivering over five games and, on this occasion, Sam is unfortunate to miss out."

 

England team in full: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment