LONDON: Left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc has been recalled to Australia’s Playing XI for the second Ashes Test against England.
Experienced pacer Mitchell Starc was added back to the reigning World Test Champions Playing XI and replaced Scott Boland, who was targetted by the English batters in the first Ashes Test in Birmingham.
Earlier in the first Test of the ongoing, Australia captain Pat Cummins opted to leave out Mitchell Starc, who went for aplenty in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against India at the Oval and lost his spot to right-arm pacer Josh Hazlewood, who returned to the side after recovering from Achilles and side issue.
However, at the commencement of the second Ashes Test on Wednesday the hosts England opted to bowl first. Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins shared his team’s lineup which included Starc.
Meanwhile, England had already unveiled their Playing XI for the second Test which marked the return of young pacer Josh Tongue and replaced Moeen Ali, who suffered a blister on his right hand’s index finger during the first Ashes Test which saw England succumbing to a narrow two-wicket defeat after Pat Cummins’s masterclass.
Tongue’s inclusion meant England went with an all-pace attack for the second Ashes Test at Lord’s which “offers more to the seamers”.
“We turned up here and have seen a lot of grass on the wicket, it is a bit green,” said Ben Stokes.
“Traditionally Lord’s offers more for seamers and with how Mo’s finger has recovered, actually recovered really well, I thought we would get more with four seamers and went with Tongue,” he added.
Unlike England, Australia decided against an all-pace attack and kept Nathan Lyon in their lineup, who became the first specialist bowler to appear in 100 consecutive Tests.
Additionally, Nathan Lyon is five wickets away from becoming the eighth bowler to claim 500 Test wickets.
Playing XIs
England: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, James Anderson.
Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wkt), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
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