England vs Australia: 2nd Ashes Test
As the second Test of the five-match Ashes series 2023 between England and Australia approaches, the English captain Ben Stokes has unveiled their Playing XI with a surprising alteration to the last match’s lineup. The game will be held at the renowned Lord’s Cricket Ground, a week after Australia won the initial Test by two wickets and seized a pivotal 1-0 lead.
England’s Playing XI
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue are the players chosen for the English side.
Moeen Ali Dropped
Skipper Ben Stokes has elected to drop Moeen Ali, who had come out of retirement to play as their frontline spinner in the non-availability of Jack Leach. Ali had bruised his finger after bowling 33 overs out of England’s 116 in the first innings. However, the off-spinner could not do much in the second innings, taking a single wicket and bowling only 14 overs out of England’s 92.
Conclusion
The second Test of the Ashes series is all set to take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground, with England’s captain Ben Stokes deciding to make a shocking change to their playing lineup by dropping Moeen Ali. It will be interesting to see how the English side fares in the upcoming Test.