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BRISBANE: England made one change to their Playing XI for the second Ashes Test after key fast bowler Mark Wood was ruled out of the pink-ball clash against Australia at The Gabba.
Wood’s absence had been widely anticipated after he skipped England’s first training session in Brisbane due to persistent trouble with his left knee.
The pacer managed only 11 overs in the opening Test at Perth and had already suggested earlier in the tour that playing all five matches was never a realistic option.
He has also been seen wearing a heavy brace on his left leg in recent days, reinforcing concerns over his fitness.
England have opted to strengthen their lower order by bringing in all-rounder Will Jacks in place of Wood, preferring him over frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Jacks, a versatile option who offers off-spin and explosive batting, will bat at No. 8 despite not having featured in a Test match for the past three years.
His limited red-ball experience includes only two Tests, both on England’s 2022 tour of Pakistan, where he impressed with a five-wicket haul on debut.
The shift away from an all-pace attack remains the only change to England’s combination following their crushing eight-wicket defeat in the series opener in Perth, which was wrapped up inside two days.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
READ: Usman Khawaja ruled out of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane
