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England have made four changes to their playing XI for the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, starting on Thursday, with captain Ben Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson returning to the side following their absence after the incident at a Chelsea nightclub a fortnight ago.
Spinner Shoaib Bashir has also been recalled, with the expected hot conditions at Trent Bridge prompting England to restore their frontline slow bowler. Bashir was left out of England's 253-run defeat at The Oval and did not bowl a single delivery in the series opener at Lord's. His return signals a greater emphasis on spin as England look to level the series in the final Test. There is, however, no place in the XI for Ollie Robinson, despite the Player of the Match from the Lord's Test being declared fit after recovering from the knee niggle that ruled him out of the second Test. Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith completes the quartet of returning players after missing the Oval Test for the birth of his second child on the eve of the match. He comes in for James Rew, whose difficult debut at The Oval resulted in him being omitted from England's 15-man squad for the series finale. England's defeat at The Oval means they have now lost six of their last seven Tests, a run stretching back to India's series-levelling victory at the same venue in September 2025. Despite the disappointing sequence of results, head coach Brendon McCullum maintained that his focus remains firmly on the team's processes and long-term development rather than short-term outcomes. "What will be will be from a results POV. We're desperate to win, but at the time, what will be will be. How can we hold our nerves during those moments and have absolute clarity to make the right decisions to give ourselves the best chance? If we do that, then we have a good chance of getting the prize that we want," he said as per ESPNcricinfo. England XI for third Test: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Emilio Gay, 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk), 7 Ben Stokes (capt), 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 Shoaib Bashir. (ANI)
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