England men’s head coach Chris Silverwood has named a 16-player squad for the fifth Test against India starting at Old Trafford on Friday. Star batsman Jos Buttler and spinner Jack Leach return to the England squad for the fifth Test.
“Lancashire wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler returns to the squad following the birth of his daughter during the fourth Test at the Kia Oval,” England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.
“Somerset spinner Jack Leach has been added to the squad for the final Test of the series,” it added.
ECB also said batsman Sam Billings, who was included in the fourth Test squad, has returned to Kent.
In the fourth Test, Indian bowlers delivered big time on the last day at the Kennington Oval on Monday as the genius of Jasprit Bumrah, and an all-round performance by Shardul Thakur helped the visitors beat England by 157 runs to gain a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Meanwhile, after stumbling to a 157-run loss in the fourth Test against India, England skipper Joe Root said that it was frustrating to lose all ten wickets on the final day of the game, however, he also praised the visitors’ bowling attack.
England squad for the fifth Test: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
