
Tags: Cricket, Coronavirus, England, Icc Test Championship, James Anderson, Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, West Indies
England selected Stuart Broad, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes in their side for the second Test against West Indies - but the much-changed bowling attack will have to wait for their chance to impress.
Jason Holder won a delayed toss and, under heavy skies in Manchester, opted to bowl first as West Indies chase a series-clinching victory.
While the tourists are unsurprisingly unchanged after their four-wicket triumph in Southampton last week, England have made four alterations to their team.
Joe Root - who missed the previous game due to the birth of his second child - returns to captain this side in place of Joe Denly, but England are without Jofra Archer, who was excluded from the squad following a breach of bio-secure protocols.
The pace bowler is to isolate for five days, during which he will undertake two COVID-19 tests. Both results need to be negative before his period of self-isolation is lifted.
Archer's absence was only confirmed on the morning of the Test, England having already announced on Wednesday that fellow pace bowlers James Anderson and Mark Wood would be rested at Old Trafford.
The uncapped Ollie Robinson misses out as Broad, Curran and Woakes get the nod.
"A statement has gone out this morning and as a side we've got to look at the next five days and put in a good performance to bounce back from last week," Root told Sky Sports after the toss.
The England skipper also confirmed that despite Archer being ruled out, there was no consideration to adding either Anderson or Wood to the 12-man squad.
"With both of those, having come back from two serious injuries, it seemed very high risk to play them in this game," Root added. "This is a must-win game for us, but we have to look after them."
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