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Icc Test Championship

Akash Deep strikes as England lose five wickets in first session

How India would fare without the rested Jasprit Bumrah was answered emphatically by Deep, who bowled Zak Crawley with a no-ball then snared Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope within the space of three deliveries.

Crawley was dismissed for a run-a-ball 42 after Deep clipped the top of his off-stump and while Jonny Bairstow led a brief counter-attack, he was dismissed for 38 off 35 balls by Ravichandran Ashwin.

The tourists’ cause then worsened on the stroke of lunch when Ben Stokes was lbw to an ankle-high shooter from Ravindra Jadeja, the England captain walking off even before the umpire raised his finger as his side ended the session on 112 for five.

Stokes described a cracked, crumbly surface as “interesting” and “like nothing I’ve ever seen before” this week but he elected to bat first and his top-order was given a stiff working over.

Both Crawley and Duckett were beaten on the outside edge several times by Deep and Mohammed Siraj, as England made a tentative start just a few days after falling 2-1 behind the series following a heavy defeat in Rajkot last week.

Crawley’s off-stump was sent cartwheeling but he was called back after Deep had overstepped the front line. Having taken just four off his first 16 balls, he took 28 off his next 16 after driving and twice clipping for three successive fours before a monstrous six off Siraj.

India turned to Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin in the ninth over but they persisted with the probing Deep, who snared Duckett for 11 with a good length delivery which nipped away a fraction and grazed the outside edge.

Ollie Pope’s attempt to negate the movement was unsuccessful as he lasted two balls. Despite getting nearly three metres out in front he was rapped on the pads by Deep and India successfully reviewed the not out decision.

Deep ended a lively first hour by castling Crawley again – a near-identical delivery to his no-ball earlier – but this time, there was no reprieve for the England opener.

The out-of-form Bairstow, averaging 17 in this series, was purposeful and especially fluent against Siraj, late-cutting the seamer for four then crunching two more boundaries in his next over. When Bairstow slog swept Ravichandran Ashwin for six, it appeared it would be the Yorkshireman’s day.

However, Ashwin continued round the wicket and tempted Bairstow into another slog sweep which he missed. Umpire Rod Tucker was unmoved by India’s lbw appeal but another review vindicated the hosts.

Akeem Jordan joins West Indies squad for final Test against England

Louis, who did not feature in the first two Tests, sustained the injury during the second Test at Trent Bridge. He will stay with the squad to receive further treatment. Meanwhile, Jordan, who was playing cricket in the UK at the time of his call-up, has already joined the squad and will participate in Wednesday's training session at Edgbaston.

Jordan is yet to make his Test debut but has made a mark in 19 first-class games, taking 67 wickets since 2022 at an average of 24.10. His impressive performances include two five-wicket hauls, with a best innings haul of 5 for 44.

The West Indies squad already includes seam-bowling options like Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, and allrounder Jason Holder. Despite their efforts, the visitors are currently 2-0 down in the series, having lost the Richards-Botham Trophy with one game still to go. The West Indies faced heavy defeats at Lord's by an innings and 114 runs, and at Trent Bridge by 241 runs last week.

The third Test is set to commence on Friday, July 26, at Edgbaston, where the West Indies will be hoping to salvage some pride and end the series on a positive note.

Alam holds up West Indies before Abbas double lifts Pakistan

Seamer Abbas removed Kieran Powell and Nkrumah Bonner with successive deliveries just before the close in Jamaica as West Indies finished proceedings on 2-2.

Fawad Alam had earlier made a valiant 56 to lead a fightback from the tourists, despite Jayden Seales and Jason Holder both claiming three wickets after West Indies had won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Pakistan recovered from the early losses of openers Imran Butt (11) and Abid Ali (9) to reach 68-2 at one stage, only to then lose two key wickets in successive overs without adding a run to their total.

Azhar Ali fought hard before falling to Seales for 17, while Babar Azam then fell just five balls later, an inside edge grabbed by wicketkeeper Josh Da Silva as Kemar Roach (2-47) sent back Pakistan's captain for 30.

After Mohammad Rizwan was caught by Roston Chase off the bowling of Holder, Alam and Faheem Ashraf provided some much-needed stability to the innings.

Their partnership was worth 85 when a superb throw by Chase while diving forward caught Ashraf short of his ground to go for 44. Holder eventually ended Alam's defiant knock as Pakistan's final three wickets went down with the total stuck on 217.

The late clatter of wickets looked to have rounded out a good start to the series for the home team, only for Abbas' double to leave the game wonderfully poised. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was unbeaten on 1, while Chase was still yet to get off the mark when bad light halted proceedings.

Alam keeps Pakistan afloat

With his unusual technique - he starts out chest-on in his stance looking straight at the bowler before switching to a more orthodox position - Alam can be difficult for opposition bowlers to get to grips with. It needed an inside edge to remove him, bowled when pushing at a delivery from Holder.

The left-hander was far from fluent but fought hard for the cause, hitting six fours to post his maiden Test half-century, though he has already managed four hundreds in the format.

Abbas shows problems ahead

It was undoubtedly a day for the pace bowlers, starting with Seales – who recorded career-best figures of 3-70 in Test cricket – and new-ball partner Roach.

Yet while West Indies’ attack performed admirably as a unit, the unerringly accurate Abbas demonstrated how it will not be easy in reply to Pakistan's workmanlike total at Sabina Park.

Alex Carey's maiden Test century sees Australia pull away on day three

Carey began the day with nine runs, and added another 102 to reach 111 off 149 deliveries – surpassing Rod Marsh's knock of 110 back in 1977 to set a new standard for wicketkeepers at the famous ground.

He was eventually caught and bowled by Marco Jansen, but Cameron Green was determined to stick around as Australia took full control of the second Test.

Green patiently made his way to 51 not out from 177 balls while nursing a finger injury, and after another ugly finger injury earlier in the Test appeared to end Mitchell Starc's match, he also returned and scored 10no before the Australians declared at 575-8.

Anrich Nortje was the pick of the South African bowlers, taking 3-92 from his 25 overs.

Trailing by 386, the best the tourists could really hope for is a draw, but the chances of South Africa batting out the final two days took a massive blow before the close when Dean Elgar was caught behind for a duck off Aussie skipper Pat Cummins' bowling.

With the ball swinging a mile and Starc toughing it out to rejoin the attack, South Africa were saved from any further damage by the arrival of rain, ending the day's play over an hour before the scheduled finish time.

The visitors will resume on day four at 15-1 with Sarel Erwee (7no) and Theunis de Bruyn (6no) at the crease, trailing by 371 runs.

Carey's history-making knock

The century from Carey was not just the best score by a wicketkeeper at the MCG since Marsh in 1977, but the only other century by a wicketkeeper ever in a Test at the ground.

His previous high score from his 13 Test matches was 93 against Pakistan in Karachi earlier this year and the maiden century - which included 13 fours - raised his average to just under 40 (39.6).

Starc and Green battle through the pain

It was initially reported that Starc's finger injury from day one would likely take between six and eight weeks to properly heal, and that it could be some time before he bowls again – only for paceman to come out for a bat and bowl on day three.

It was also unknown if Green would be able to continue playing after a bouncer caught him on the finger in day two, triggering an injury retirement, but he also decided to battle it out and ended up facing the second-most deliveries in the match so far (177), as Australia impressively built on David Warner's double hundred.

Alex Tudor backs Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum to inspire Ollie Robinson

Robinson’s fitness issues surfaced once more in Ranchi as a twinge in his troublesome back meant he was down on pace, sending down just 13 wicketless overs in the fourth Test and unused in India’s chase of 192 as the hosts went 3-1 ahead in the five-match series.

Despite an outstanding record of 76 wickets at an average of 22.92 in 20 outings, there is again scrutiny at whether Robinson’s body can withstand the rigours of Test cricket.

His previous competitive appearance was seven months ago – when a back spasm shortened his involvement – and a seamer described as the heir apparent to Stuart Broad now seems at a crossroads in his career.

Tudor was a keen observer of Robinson’s underwhelming return in his role as a talkSPORT commentator and sympathises with the 30-year-old, as several injuries restricted him to 10 Tests between 1998 and 2002.

But Tudor hopes Robinson can rediscover his mojo and argued there is no greater incentive for him than the chance to play under the relaxed environment cultivated by captain Stokes and head coach McCullum.

“His place is definitely up for debate, which you wouldn’t have said a year or so ago,” Tudor told the PA news agency.

“He’s a quality performer but he’s having a few issues with lasting a Test match. I’m sure he’ll want to sort this out because playing in and around this team, it’s what any cricketer would want.

“England are full of positivity under Ben Stokes, who backs his team to the hilt, the same with Brendon McCullum. The atmosphere that they’re creating, any sportsperson would want to be a part of that.

“I’m sure Ollie Robinson is no different but it’s for him to get it sorted to get his body right and show everybody what he can do.”

England are due to arrive into Dharamsala on Sunday ahead of the fifth Test, starting on Thursday, with conditions expected to be wetter and cooler than what they have so far experienced on this tour.

There has been persistent rain and hail showers in recent days in the small city at the foothills of the Himalayas in north India although the weather is forecast to brighten up ahead of the Test.

Fast bowlers could therefore be called upon more at the HPCA Stadium, with James Anderson expected to shrug off a minor thigh issue to play as he looks for two more wickets to take him to 700 in Tests.

“It will be another milestone in a glittering career,” Tudor said of the 41-year-old seamer. “I don’t think he would have ever dreamed of the haul of wickets he’d get when he first got into the team.

“Getting to 700 wickets will be a fantastic milestone and one that I think no other seamer will get near again. Jimmy’s really shown the next generation how to go about things.”

Tudor first met Anderson during the 2002/03 Ashes tour, with England’s now record wicket-taker then a shy 20-year-old as part of the ‘A’ team. Anderson made his international debut soon after.

“Quite early on, the England team knew what they had,” Tudor added. “It would be foolish of me to say ‘I knew straight away he was going to have this illustrious career’.

“But he’s evolved with the times, got better with age and got better and better. The biggest compliment I can give is I regard (ex-West Indies fast bowler) Malcolm Marshall as the greatest of all-time but Jimmy’s like the English version of Malcolm Marshall because he gets wickets all around the world.”

Alick Athanaze's crucial 92 helps West Indies secure a draw in rain-affected first Test against South Africa

South Africa, resuming their second innings at 30 without loss, quickly raced to 173 for 3 in just 29 overs before declaring, setting the West Indies a challenging target. Tony de Zorzi and Aiden Markram gave the visitors a solid start, scoring 45 and 38, respectively, before Tristan Stubbs injected urgency into the innings with a blistering 68 off 50 balls. His dismissal by Kemar Roach in the 29th over prompted South African captain Temba Bavuma to declare, leaving himself unbeaten on 15.

The West Indies' chase got off to a disastrous start, losing captain Kraigg Brathwaite for a duck in the first over. Mikyle Louis followed for nine, leaving the hosts reeling at 18 for 2. However, Alick Athanaze and Kaecy Carty began the process of rebuilding, putting together a valuable 46-run partnership before Carty was dismissed for 31 by Maharaj.

Athanaze continued to anchor the innings, forging another crucial stand of 63 runs with Kavem Hodge, who was also dismissed by Maharaj for 29. Athanaze's innings was a masterclass in patience and shot selection, as he found another steady partner in Jason Holder. The duo added 65 runs for the fourth wicket, with Athanaze inching closer to a well-deserved century.

Hodge made 29

Unfortunately, he fell just eight runs short of his maiden Test century, sweeping Maharaj to fine leg where he was caught. His innings, however, ensured that the West Indies could stave off defeat, with Jason Holder remaining unbeaten on 31 and Joshua da Silva not out on two when Bavuma decided to end proceedings, declaring the match a draw.

Maharaj was the pick of the South African bowlers once again, adding another four-wicket haul to his match tally, finishing with figures of 4 for 88 in the West Indies' second innings. His performance followed an equally impressive first-innings effort of 4 for 76.

Speaking after the match, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite expressed satisfaction with his team's batting display in the second innings. "I'm happy with our batting group. The guys were quite positive, and I'm so proud of the batting unit. We believed we could get those runs, and although it wasn't going to be easy, the fight and resilience shown were commendable," Brathwaite said.

He continued, "The pitch here in the Caribbean can be a bit slower, so it's about adjusting when to go slow and when to accelerate. Alick showed us that today with his approach. His plan was to sweep, and even though he got out to a sweep, he stuck to it and nearly got his century. Hodge was also good in England, and it's about continuing to build on these performances."

The first Test ended in a draw, but it was a match that saw both teams show their strengths. The West Indies will take confidence from their batting performance as they prepare for the second Test, knowing that they have the ability to challenge South Africa in the upcoming encounters.

The second Test gets underway at Providence in Guyana on August 15.

All to play for as Windies and England battle for Richards-Botham Trophy

The Windies have dug in for draws under pressure on the final day in Antigua and Barbados.

England are bottom of the World Test Championship table, with the Windies directly above them as both sides strive to transform their fortunes in the longest format.

The tourists look set to be without seamer Ollie Robinson once again as he continues to struggle with fitness issues.

England have not won a Test series in the Caribbean for 18 years, but have undoubtedly made strides during this tour as they battle for the Richards-Botham Trophy.

Yet they are still without a win in eight matches in the longest format and have been unable to show the potency to dismiss West Indies twice when in a great position to take the lead in this series.

Kraigg Brathwaite was the Windies' hero at Kensington Oval, showing incredible application and skill in both innings.

The skipper batted for 710 minutes for his 160 in the first innings and dug in for an unbeaten 56 on the last day in Bridgetown to keep the series level.

England must produce some heat on the Spice Island if they are to head home with a 1-0 victory.

Brathwaite and Root leading by example

The Windies were indebted to opener Brathwaite in Barbados as he dropped the anchor in both innings on his home ground.

By facing 673 balls combined in his two obdurate knocks, the skipper set a record for the most deliveries faced by a West Indies batter in a single Test. Brathwaite has the more runs than anyone else in this series, scoring 304 at an average of 101.33.

Prolific England captain Joe Root has also been magnificent, racking up 284 - including two centuries - at an average of 71.


Overton set to return, unchanged squad for Windies

Craig Overton was ruled out of the second Test due to illness, but is set to get another opportunity with Matt Fisher expected to step aside.

Saqib Mahmood should also be unleashed on the Windies again after an excellent opening spell on the final day in Barbados, with spinner Matt Parkinson facing the prospect of missing out again and Robinson not fit.

West Indies named an unchanged squad after frustrating the tourists once again on the final day.

All-rounder Jacks handed maiden Test call-up as Wood returns for England

The Surrey all-rounder, already capped at white-ball level, is the lone maiden call-up to a 15-man party headlined by the return of Mark Wood for the first time since March.

Keaton Jennings and Ben Duckett return for the first time since 2019 and 2016 respectively after superb domestic campaigns with Lancashire and Nottinghamshire. 

There is no Stuart Broad, however, after the bowler opted to remain at home for the birth of his first child. Paceman Jamie Overton is included following a Test debut against New Zealand earlier this year.

Liam Livingstone will be chasing a first cap, having last been included in a Test squad in 2018, while form batsman Jonny Bairstow is absent through the injury that has ruled him out of the T20 World Cup.

Former captain Joe Root, alongside James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope and Ollie Robinson, make up the rest of Brendon McCullum's party.

"We are looking forward to touring Pakistan as a Test team for the first time since 2005," ECB director Rob Key stated. "It will be a historic tour and a compelling series against a good side. The selectors have picked a squad for the conditions we can expect.

"There is a strong blend of youth and experience and players who will adapt well to the types of pitches we are likely to get across the three-match series. I wish the players every success, especially those new to the squad and those returning after a period of time away."

England squad; Ben Stokes, James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Will Jacks, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.

Amir and Sohail to sit out Pakistan's tour of England

Three-match Test and Twenty20 series between the two teams are due to take place behind closed doors across August and September.

Amir, who retired last year from the longest format, will not travel in order to attend the birth of his second child, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced.

Sohail has also withdrawn due to family reasons.

Pakistan intend to name a 28-player squad for the trip, with a match schedule yet to be confirmed.

West Indies are already in England for the first Tests of their hosts' truncated home season next month.

Anderson 'obsessed' with Carl Lewis, backing Root to lead England to new heights

The veteran England bowler bagged his 30th five-wicket Test haul with figures of 6-40 in Sri Lanka's first innings of the second Test in Galle.

It saw the 38-year-old become the oldest paceman to take a five-wicket haul in a Test played in Asia.

Afterwards, Anderson revealed that he wants to run faster than he ever has before, as part of his drive to remain a vital cog in the England team.

Anderson, whose bowling exploits were followed on Saturday by a fine batting display from captain Joe Root, accepts he will no longer play in every Test.

He was left out for the first game in this two-match series but took Stuart Broad's place this week and showed he remains a formidable force.

Only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble have taken more Test wickets than Anderson, who is always looking for a way to improve.

"Through experience, the more effort you put in, the more rewards you get," he said.

"I've worked really hard on my fitness in the last 12 months. I'm working on stuff like running technique that's going to make me quicker.

"I'm obsessed with Carl Lewis at the moment and watching him run. I don't see why I can't keep improving just because I'm getting older."

Lewis, who won four gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, sustained his track and field career into his thirties, but few sportsmen can match the longevity of Anderson.

"I'm thinking I'm still someone who can do a job for England," Anderson said. "I can still win games of cricket.

"When you do get told you're not playing, it is frustrating, but all that made me do was focus on the second Test.

"But the older I've got, the more I realise they're looking after us and trying to manage us.

"We're playing a lot of Test cricket in a short period of time so we're aware we're going to have to rest from time to time."

In reply to Sri Lanka's 381 all out, England reached 98-2 at the close, having been 5-2 at one stage.

Root (67 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (24no) will resume on Sunday, and Anderson said: "We know now we've got to bat big and we've got to bat for a long time to try to win this game.

"We just need a couple of guys to go big – a couple of decent hundreds, as we saw in the first Test match, really makes a big difference.

"I think it's pretty important to try to get a lead if we can, just thinking of how the pitch is going to go. You don't want to chase down too many in the fourth innings if we're going to win."

Root made a double century in that first Test, and went past Geoffrey Boycott in Saturday's innings to nudge up to sixth place on the list of England's all-time leading run-scorers.

"I'm pretty sure he's not thinking about milestones when he's out there," Anderson said. "I'm not sure he's that sort of player."

Anderson and Bess out for England as India look to strike back in Chennai

James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Dom Bess were all part of the XI that helped England become the first visiting nation to win a Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai since Pakistan in 1999, ending an eight-game unbeaten streak for the hosts.

However, none of the trio will be involved when the two teams face each other again at the same venue.

While Archer is ruled out with an elbow injury, Anderson has been rested and Bess left out of a 12-man squad. Stuart Broad seems certain to play, with the other seam-bowling spot between Chris Woakes and Olly Stone. Moeen Ali will be the second spinner; the all-rounder has not featured in Test cricket since August 2019.

Captain Joe Root admitted it was not an easy decision to give Anderson a break considering how well he performed in the opener, but England had to look at the bigger picture during such a busy year.

"Everyone's heart was in favour of him being available for this game but also you have to look at the bigger picture and ideally if he is available for two of the last three, that is a huge asset for us with the way he is bowling and his reputation, as well as his numbers and the way he has performed in recent games," Root told the media.

India, meanwhile, head into this match under pressure; they have only ever lost the first two games of a home Test series against England once previously, when they went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat in 1976-77.

Virat Kohli pointed to a failure by the bowling unit to keep England's scoring rate in check in the aftermath of the opening defeat, with slow-bowling duo Washington Sundar and Shahbaz Nadeem struggling to provide support for pacemen Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma, as well as frontline spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Axar Patel missed that match due to a knee injury but came through a fitness test on Thursday. Kuldeep Yadav could also get an opportunity on a pitch that, according to Ajinkya Rahane, will spin from the outset.

"I am sure it will turn from day one," Rahane said on the eve of the game. "We will have to wait and see how it behaves in the first session and take it from there."

In a boost for India, there will be fans present for the second of four matches in the series. The ground is allowed to be 50 per cent full, though there will be social distancing measures in place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.


Captain Kohli in the spotlight

India have now lost four Tests in a row under Kohli, who departed the tour of Australia after his side had been shot out for 36 to lose the series opener in Adelaide. He returned home for the birth of his first child, with stand-in Rahane then leading the side to a 2-1 triumph.

Kohli made scores of 11 and 72 upon his return to the XI, but those numbers were not enough to stop him slipping to fifth in the International Cricket Council's Test rankings for batsmen.

Root keeps on digging in

Root underpinned England's triumph last time out with a double hundred in a mammoth first innings of 578, in the process continuing his stunning run of form following on from a hugely successful tour to Sri Lanka.

The right-handed batsman has managed 684 runs in his previous three matches, which equates to 39 per cent of his side's total runs in Test cricket in 2021. There have been useful contributions from his top-order colleagues so far overseas, but no other batsman has reached three figures in an innings during the calendar year.

Key match facts

- England have only managed to register one Test series win in India since their 2-1 tour win in 1984-85 - their successful tour in 2012 being the solitary triumph during that period (D1 L4).
- India still lead the head-to-head record with England in Tests played at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, winning five compared to the visitors' tally of four after the series opener (D1).
- England have managed to record six overseas Test wins in succession ahead of this match – victory in this game will equal their longest ever run in the format (seven in a row between 1911 and 1914).
- Rishabh Pant has a batting strike rate of 70.6 in Test cricket, only two men (with a minimum of 600 runs scored) have higher rates for India (Virender Sehwag at 82, plus Kapil Dev at 81)
- Broad (517) is three scalps away from going into sixth place on the all-time leading Test wicket-takers list, jumping above Courtney Walsh (519); the Englishman has picked up 41 wickets at an average of 14.5 since the start of 2020.

Anderson and Broad become most successful bowling partnership in Test cricket history

The late Shane Warne and fellow Australian great Glenn McGrath had previously held the record, having combined for 1,001 wickets during their illustrious careers.

It was a record that looked like potentially standing the test of time, with the two Australia legends retiring 16 years ago.

But the England pair moved level with them on day two of the first Test at Bay Oval on Friday when Anderson took 3-36 and Broad finished with figures of 1-72.

That was their 133rd appearance together – Warne and McGrath reached their total in 104 matches.

The record-breaking wicket came in the fourth over of New Zealand's second innings, with the hosts having been set a target of 394 to chase down for an improbable victory.

Broad left New Zealand at 14-1 after his around-the-wicket delivery snuck through Conway's defence, immediately celebrating with Anderson as the duo were well aware of what they had just accomplished.

Broad went on to bowl Kane Williamson in his next over, making it 14-2 after an Anderson maiden in between.

New Zealand was a fitting location for them to reach the landmark, with the pairing having first teamed up together in Wellington way back in 2008.

Anderson and Broad dropped for England's tour of West Indies

In the wake of head coach Chris Silverwood departing after a dismal Ashes series, England will be led in the Caribbean by captain Joe Root and interim coach Paul Collingwood.

There has been a push to freshen up their red-ball squad for the three-match tussle, starting in Antigua on March 8, and that has meant Anderson and Broad losing their places.

The selection panel, consisting of interim managing director of cricket Andrew Strauss, Collingwood and head scout James Taylor, named a 16-man squad on Tuesday.

As well as Broad and Anderson, six other players who featured in Australia have been left out: Dom Bess, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan and openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed, who both endured poor stints Down Under.

Strauss contended this was by no means definitely the end of the road in Tests for Broad, 35, or Anderson, who turns 40 in July. Between them, the pair have taken 1,177 wickets in 321 Tests.

"In respect of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, I want to emphasise this does not mean the end for them as England players," said Strauss, who captained both seamers during his playing career.

"We feel that it is important to look at some exciting new bowling potential and give some added responsibility to other players who have featured previously.

"No one doubts the quality and experience that James and Stuart bring to the England set-up. It will be up to the new managing director and permanent head coach to decide on whether they will be involved this summer and beyond."

However, Strauss also explained that England are looking to "start a new cycle" after a run of poor results in the longest format.

"We felt that it was time to draw a line after the Ashes defeat, look forward and give some impetus with an influx of new players," he said.

"This selection of this squad is the start of a process and a journey to get England Test cricket back to where it needs to be, and the hard work starts now."

Durham opener Alex Lees and Yorkshire seamer Matthew Fisher have earned maiden call-ups, while Lancashire's Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson will be aiming to make their Test debuts.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has also been included in Buttler's absence, having not featured since playing against India in March 2021.

England squad:

Joe Root (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Matthew Fisher, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Anderson and Broad recalled as Potts earns England debut

England's all-time leading wicket taker Anderson and Broad, second on that list, were contentiously dropped for the series in the West Indies earlier this year.

But defeat in that series led to the resignation of captain Joe Root and the departure of head coach Chris Silverwood.

New Zealand legend McCullum was consequently appointed as Silverwood's successor, while star all-rounder Stokes was named as new skipper.

England have turned to the experience of Anderson and Broad as they aim to make a winning start against the Black Caps at Lord's, while Durham seamer Potts – Stokes' county team-mate – is also included in the attack.

Potts is the leading wicket taker in the County Championship this season with 35 and got the nod ahead of Craig Overton.

In-form Yorkshire batsman Harry Brook has to wait for an opportunity, though, with Jonny Bairstow batting at five.


England team to face New Zealand: Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

Anderson and Broad still have England chance, claims Root

Anderson and Broad have been outspoken about their omissions from the squad for the upcoming tour of the West Indies, with the latter also criticising the fact that he was only informed of the decision via a brief phone call with Interim managing director of cricket Andrew Strauss.

Strauss selected the 16-man squad along with interim coach Paul Collingwood and head scout James Taylor, after a 4-0 Ashes defeat led to the departure of England head coach Chris Silverwood.

Despite seeing his experienced team-mates dropped, Root claimed there could be a way back into the fold for the duo.

"I've spoken both to Stuart and Jimmy and they're obviously disappointed and angry. Stuart in particular has voiced that quite publicly," Root said, as reported via The Telegraph.

"You'd expect that. I've got a huge amount of respect for both of them. It's been made very clear, no one is saying this is the end for them. 

"If we're in a position where [Broad and Anderson] can come back into this team, then great, that's only going to strengthen things. No-one's been told that it's the end of the road."

Anderson and Broad have taken a combined 1,177 Test wickets, ranking as the country's two most prolific bowlers of all time in the longest format.

With a number of regulars, such as Jos Buttler and Rory Burns, missing the Windies tour, Root acknowledged he was thankful to keep his place, though he has never lost faith in his own ability.

Indeed, despite England's poor display as a team Down Under, Root enjoyed a stellar 2021, scoring 1,708 runs across 29 Test innings.

"It's never nice when you see people that you've worked closely with for a long period of time lose their jobs," Root continued.

"Clearly it was a disappointing tour [in Australia] and we massively underperformed. As Straussy mentioned, [we need] a bit of a reset, and a real chance to take things forward. I'm very grateful that I've got the opportunity to do that as captain.

"It's a real opportunity that we've got to take with both hands. It's obviously a very new-looking squad, and it's a real chance for the guys to step up and really take the chances that are presented to them – me included.

"I didn't waver. I'm very passionate about trying to take this team forward. I'm grateful I've got that opportunity, I really am."

Root posted a batting average of just 32.2 throughout England's third consecutive series defeat in Australia, well down on his career Test average of 49.23, but will now attempt bounce back by leading England to just their second series win in the Caribbean since 1968.

Anderson and Leach seal emphatic victory for magnificent England

England started day five needing another nine wickets to win a match they dominated throughout and Joe Root's side got the job done in the afternoon session at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.

Anderson produced a sublime spell before lunch, taking two wickets in one brilliant over, and finished with figures of 3-17, while the impressive Leach took 4-76 as India were dismissed for 192.

Half-centuries from Virat Kohli (72) and Shubman Gill (50) were in vain as India never looked like getting close to reaching their unlikely target of 420 to win or being capable of batting out for a draw.

Victory for the tourists ensured Root matched Michael Vaughan’s record tally of 26 Test wins as captain, capping a dream 100th match in the longest format for the in-form batsman, whose classy double century set up a perfect start to the four-match series.

India resumed on 39-1, needing an unlikely 401 more runs for victory, and they were two down when Leach drew an edge from Cheteshwar Pujara with a delivery that turned sharply, Ben Stokes taking a sharp catch at first slip.

Anderson then came to the fore with a magnificent over, removing Gill's off stump and repeating the trick to clean up Ajinkya Rahane for a duck three balls later.

India were in deep trouble on 110-5 when Rishabh Pant fell into the trap, taken by Root at short cover as another clever piece of bowling from the wily Anderson was rewarded again.

Leach snared Washington Sundar, superbly caught behind by Jos Buttler, to leave India staring down the barrel of defeat at 144-6 at lunch, with the classy Kohli running out of partners.

Ravichandran Ashwin was peppered by short stuff from Jofra Archer, taking a blow on the helmet and glove, as he hung around defiantly before another excellent take from Buttler gave Leach a third wicket.

Kohli look untroubled as he knuckled down, rotating the strike and putting away any loose deliveries, but Stokes came into the attack to bowl the skipper.

Shahbaz Nadeem became Leach's fourth victim and Archer had Jasprit Bumrah caught behind to seal a famous sixth consecutive away win for Root's men.

Anderson calls for cricket to be more active in combating racism

The Windies arrived in Manchester this week ahead of three Tests next month, which will take place behind closed doors at the Ageas Bowl and Old Trafford.

Discussing his team doing their part to support protests that have swept the globe in the aftermath of George Floyd's death in police custody, West Indies captain Jason Holder stated that the tourists could take a knee.

"Protesting and standing up for what you believe in is noble and courageous, and something I would never disapprove of." Holder said.

Anderson is certainly of similar mind and conceded English cricket must do more to serve the BAME community after his former international team-mate Michael Carberry told ESPNCricinfo: "Cricket is rife with racism. Black people are not important to the structure of English cricket."

England's leading Test wicket-taker Anderson said: "I think it's been a thought-provoking few weeks for everyone. It's made me do a lot of thinking.

"We definitely will have conversations as players about what we can do to make a stand. It's something that as players and a game we need to be more active with.

"It's made me think about whether I've experienced racism on the cricket field. I couldn't think of any instances. I wasn't there when Jofra Archer was abused in New Zealand [in 2019].

"It also made me think, have I just turned a blind eye to things? I'll try and support my team-mates if they do suffer any abuse but have I been active in supporting them?

"The game in general as well - I saw the stat that there's one black player that's come through the state school system in county cricket. That's not okay. We need to actively make this game for everyone.

"It can't keep going the way it is. That's what I've been thinking about and is there more that I can do to help as a player."

England captain Joe Root could miss some of the upcoming series, with his wife Carrie due to give birth to their second child at the start of July.

Ben Stokes is in line to step up as vice-captain and Anderson does not believe the superstar all-rounder would be compromised by the extra responsibility.

"Ben's been the vice-captain for a while now," the veteran seamer said.

"He's grown and grown with that responsibility. In the dressing room he's really got a presence He's got the respect of the team.

"The natural thing to do is for the vice-captain to step up if the captain's unavailable. I'd fully expect him to do a great job."

The main challenge heading into the West Indies series for Anderson, as a master of seam and swing, could be new regulations that prohibit bowlers from applying saliva to the ball in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 37-year-old is stepping up his preparations by bowling at England and Lancashire colleague Keaton Jennings and acknowledges breaking the habit of a lifetime is tricky, although he still expects most of the usual assistance pace bowlers enjoy in English conditions.

"It's going to be unusual," he added. "For me it's a natural habit to put saliva on the ball so it's been interesting trying to stop yourself doing that.

"Fortunately in Manchester we get quite a lot of rain, so I've been able to shine the ball on the grass.

"As far as I'm aware we can use sweat, so that's something and it'll be enough to polish the ball for it to do something through the air.

"I don't think it's going to be a huge deal for players. We'll manage to prepare the ball well enough for it to swing."

Anderson claims four wickets as England complete first Test rout over New Zealand

The Black Caps resumed at 63-5 with an improbable target of 394 after Stuart Broad took four wickets with the pink ball in the third day's evening session, but lost another three inside the first four overs on day four to scupper any hopes of a rally.

New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 126 with Daryl Mitchell (57*) the lone hand for the hosts, as James Anderson took four day-four wickets to finish with 4-18 from 10.3 overs.

Veteran right-arm fast bowler Anderson led the way after Jack Leach got the first breakthrough with Michael Bracewell lobbing to Harry Brook at midwicket for 25.

Anderson claimed the wickets of Scott Kuggeleijn lbw and Tim Southee caught by Joe Root at first slip in successive balls in the next over, before also having a driving Neil Wagner caught behind by Ben Foakes.

Mitchell brought up his sixth Test half-century during a 35-run 10th-wicket partnership with Blair Tickner which lasted almost an hour but merely delayed the end.

Anderson got the final wicket, hitting the top of Tickner's off-stump to round out an emphatic victory before the lunch break.

The second Test is in Wellington starting on Friday.

Anderson and Broad extend record

Anderson and Broad made history on Saturday, breaking Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath's record for the most wickets playing together, which stood at 1,001.

Broad's four wickets on Saturday took them to 1,005, while 40-year-old Anderson's quartet on Sunday extended that further to 1,009.

Brook named best afield

There was no genuine standout performer for England throughout the match, but Brook was named Player of the Match for his scores of 89 and 54.

The honour came in only Brook's fifth Test for England, with his natural talent on display, managing a strike rate of 117.2 across his two innings.

Anderson credits Stokes with reinvigorating England career

Less than a year after being surprisingly left of the tour of the West Indies, Anderson has reflected on his return to the England squad under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, who took over from Joe Root and Chris Silverwood last year.

The team has adopted an attacking mentality in that time, winning nine of their last 10 Test matches, and Anderson is looking forward to trying their new approach in the Ashes series later this year.

"It's exciting to be in this team. Whoever we play it's going to be fun, we're going to give it a good crack and Australia in the summer could just be incredible," he said.

"I can't see them doing anything but going toe-to-toe to be honest. I think they're going to fight fire with fire and that's going to make it so explosive and exciting.

"There is something wrong with you as a player if you didn't enjoy this way we're playing. It's constantly thinking and talking about the game in a positive way so, yes, it has reinvigorated me."

Anderson – who has played 177 Test matches, taking 675 wickets – also pointed to a moment that exhibited Stokes' leadership during the recent tour of Pakistan when the team was due to attend an audience with Prime Minister Shehbaz Shariz.

"He just went, 'the bowlers aren't going, they need to recover'. He's strong enough to do that," the 40-year-old said.

"I've always had him down as a lead-by-example guy. But he is just incredible, the emotional intelligence around the group, managing the players. I didn't know he had this side to him."

On his own return to the fold, Anderson said: "There was definitely a moment when I thought that could be it. There was a bit of anger and disappointment [at being left out of the West Indies tour].

"I was just trying to make sense of it and not make any rash decisions.

"I'm not the complete bowler. I've not played the perfect game or bowled the perfect over. There are always things I think I can iron out. I want to be best at everything I do; if I'm rubbish at something I'll just give it up."

Anderson eyes Sri Lanka series as England veteran overcomes broken rib

England's record wicket-taker says he has recovered fully from the broken rib he sustained during the second Test victory over South Africa in early January.

That blow forced him to miss the third and fourth Tests, both of which England won to tie up a 3-1 series success.

Anderson, 37, hopes England pick him for the two-Test trip to Sri Lanka, even though he has struggled at times on tour against the Lions, in conditions not conducive to the Lancashire paceman masterful seam and swing.

He took just one wicket across two Tests in a November 2018 series, with Jack Leach, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali spinning England to a 2-0 lead before being rested for the third match, which the tourists also won.

Anderson said he was now "all healed" from his rib setback and doing gym work - welcome news for England, given Jofra Archer will miss the Sri Lanka series because of an elbow injury.

"I've been training for a few weeks now, getting my bowling back up to speed. I feel really good," Anderson told Sky Sports.

"The aim for me is to get fit for whatever is next and, at the moment, that is Sri Lanka.

"With a broken bone, you are just waiting for that to heal, you've not lost any fitness. It's about building my bowling back up now. We've got a month before that tour, so we have to just wait and see what the selectors think."

With 584 wickets, Anderson has claimed the most victims of any fast bowler in Test history.

"If I'm fit I want to be playing for England, wherever that might be," he said.

"I showed in South Africa that I can still do it abroad. I think I've been unlucky in the last few months with injuries, but I think my record before that has been pretty good injury-wise."