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England have announced their playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand at the Kia Oval, which begins on Wednesday, with Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker set to make their debuts as part of four changes to the team that won by 115 runs at Lord's.
Matt Fisher returns for his first Test match since making his debut on the tour of the Caribbean in 2022, while Jofra Archer also joins a four-pronged pace attack, as per the ECB website. England have made several changes ahead of the second Test, with Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson stood down after breaching team protocols during celebrations following the 115-run victory in the series opener. In Stokes' absence, Joe Root will lead the side as interim captain. The hosts have also been forced into further adjustments, with Ollie Robinson ruled out due to a knee injury sustained during training. Meanwhile, spinner Shoaib Bashir has been left out after conditions at Lord's suggested his off-spin would not play a significant role. "James Rew was our back-up batter in the squad, but that was very much to cover the top-six role. Jordan Cox was obviously over at the IPL. We wanted to see him come back and see what he could do before we thrust him into that role for the first time," Brendon McCullum, England's head coach, said on Monday. New Zealand are yet to confirm their team for the second Test. England XI for second Test: 1 Emilio Gay, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk)*, 7 Jordan Cox, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Josh Tongue, 10 Matt Fisher, 11 Sonny Baker. (ANI)
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