England have been boosted by the return of Chris Woakes and Mark Wood for Test 4 against India, which begins Thursday, September 2, live on Sky Sports; the five-game series is tied 1-1 after England won the third Test by one inning and 76 runs
Mark Wood is back in the England squad
Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have been named to the England team for Test 4 against India at The Oval, while Jos Buttler is missing.
Woakes missed the first three rounds of the series due to injury, but returned to action for the Birmingham Bears at the Vitality Blast on Friday.
Wood is back in the team after recovering from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss Test 3, which England won by one inning and 76 runs to level the five-game series at 1-1.
The duo are joined on the 15-man squad by Kent goalkeeper Sam Billings, and Buttler is retiring because his wife is expecting their second child. However, Jonny Bairstow is ready to take the gloves instead of Buttler.
“It’s very nice that Chris Woakes is coming back to the test team,” England head coach Chris Silverwood said.
“He has played well for the last week with Warwickshire with no real concern about his heel injury. He is an asset that we have been missing both with the ball and with his ability to score runs in the middle order. We can’t wait to see him. Get ready. in the Oval as we progress through consecutive Trials.
“Mark Wood is recovering excellently from his shaken right shoulder. He pitched in the middle on the final day at Headingley with our bowling coach Jon Lewis and was beginning to get through his episodes without pain.
“For the first time in this series, it is nice to have various options with our bowling stock as we approach the later stages of the series.”
The addition of Wood and Woakes will give England plenty of options in the bowling department for Round Four.
Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson impressed at Headingley, while James Anderson and Sam Curran are also on the team.
Reflecting on Buttler’s absence, Silverwood added: “We would like to wish Jos and his family all the best for the imminent birth of their second child. Unfortunately, he will miss this test, and then we will see if he returns for the Final Test at Emirates Old. Trafford.
“Jonny Bairstow will be taking over the wicket maintenance, which he is enjoying. As we all know, he has the skills to seamlessly replace Jos and the ability to score crucial runs in the middle order if called upon.
“Sam Billings, who was on the test team for the New Zealand series earlier this summer, is returning as a substitute goalkeeper. He understands how we want to approach our cricket and is a popular member of the group. He will fit in well with the rest of the group. . “
Saqib Mahmood will return to Lancashire for his LV = County Championship Division One match against Warwickshire, which begins on Monday.
England will train for the first time at The Oval on Tuesday afternoon.
Watch the first day of the fourth test between England and India at the Kia Oval starting at 10am on Thursday at Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event.
