Ben Stokes and James Anderson of England walk back into the pavilion after a team photo at Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 09, 2024 in London, England.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

It doesn’t matter if James Anderson takes a bunch of West Indies wickets for England in the first test at Lord’s from Wednesday.

The series opener will be Anderson’s 188th and last test and he will transition into England’s fast-bowling mentor.

He was pensioned off by England managing director Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. They met him at a Manchester hotel in April to say he wasn’t in their plans for the 2025-26 Ashes in Australia.

This was a month after Anderson returned from India, where he took 10 wickets at an average of 33.50. That series was lost 4-1 but on the last morning of the last test in Dharamsala, Anderson became the first seamer in history to take 700 wickets.

He spoke then of being in the best shape, liking where his game was at, and being really excited for this summer, when he will turn 42 at the end of this month.

This week, he said he was surprised at how calmly he took the news from Key, McCullum and Stokes. He understood their decision, adding, “I’ve sort of made peace with that.”

Anderson warmed up for his last test by showing his class last week in his first English County appearance for Lancashire. He took 7-35, the best figures in the championship.

His 21-year test career comes full circle at Lord’s, where he made his test debut in 2003 against Zimbabwe. Lord’s witnessed Anderson’s career-best figures of 7-42 against the West Indies in 2017.

As one era ends, others could start. Surrey seamer Gus Atkinson and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith have been handed test debuts. Both played white-ball cricket for England last year; Atkinson went to the ODI World Cup. Smith replaces Jonny Bairstow, who’s been dropped after 100 tests.

Spinner Jack Leach has also made way for Shoaib Bashir to make his home test debut after taking 17 wickets in India. Chris Woakes returns for his first test since he was the player of the Ashes series last summer.

“There’ll be some decisions I’m sure people might not understand or might be frustrated by and that’s something that I’m absolutely fine with and completely understand,” Stokes said on Tuesday.

“I don’t want to say I’m stubborn, but one thing I’m very clear on is that I know that these decisions are best for the team, from my point of view. Look at where we’ve got to go in 18 months’ time, to Australia. We want to win that urn back.”

The West Indies plays its first test since the extraordinary eight-run victory over Australia in Brisbane in January, after a 10-wicket thrashing in Adelaide.

Allrounder and former captain Jason Holder was recalled along with fellow fast bowler Jayden Seales. Opening batter Mikyle Louis will become the first man from St. Kitts and Nevis to play a test.

In the absence of the injured Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph will lead the pace attack with Seales and Shamar Joseph, whose 7-68 scuttled the Australians in Brisbane in the second innings. That earned Shamar Joseph in his second test the player of the match and short series.

Shamar Joseph called England retiree Anderson “perfect” as a test player to the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper but “I want to rain on his parade.”

Anderson said he was trying hard not to think of his pending forced retirement.

“The big thing for me this week is wanting to play well, bowl well and get a win,” he said. “I’m sure the emotions during the week will change, but right now that’s what I’m trying to focus on to stop myself crying.”

Lineups:

England: ⁠Zak Crawley,⁠ ⁠Ben Duckett, ⁠Ollie Pope, ⁠Joe Root, ⁠Harry Brook,⁠ ⁠Ben Stokes (captain), ⁠Jamie Smith, ⁠Chris Woakes, ⁠Gus Atkinson, ⁠Shoaib Bashir, ⁠James Anderson.

West Indies Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua da Silva, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales.

A modern great, James Anderson plays his 188th and final Test at Lord’s from today. Behind that simple statement lies a philosophy reflecting a cultural divide between England and India. It also throws light on such hazy but important qualities as selfishness and sacrifice in sport. Asked by a reporter if he would like to carry on, Anderson said, “I’ve not really got a choice.” The farewell comes 22 years after his international debut.

Last year, Anderson was told this would be his final summer of cricket. He turns 42 later in the month, and some of the reluctance you can read above may be put down to his competitive nature and refusal to give up that is now part of his mental make-up and have been key elements in his success. It is difficult to switch off.

He is still bowling well, as he showed with seven for 35 for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire last week. In his previous Test, in Dharamsala, he became the first seamer to take 700 wickets.

All sporting goodbyes are laced with high emotion from players and fans alike. Tears are shed, heroics recalled, and fans recollect the many times their own lives have been bookmarked by a hero’s performance. Where were you when Sachin Tendulkar played his final Test?

Choose departure date

In India, favourites are generally allowed to choose the date of their departure. Seldom do selectors go up to a top player and say, “Listen, no more extensions after this series, we have to build a team for the future.” Greats have been carried by the team because there’s a landmark on the horizon or because they want to quit on their home ground. Thus was Kapil Dev allowed to carry on till he had overtaken Richard Hadlee’s then record of 431 Test wickets.

Tendulkar himself was allowed to play on till his 200th Test in Mumbai. In India such concessions are seen as the players’ due (although Virender Sehwag wasn’t given such an option). In some ways, Indian fans live their lives through and get their self-image from a Tendulkar, and to see him play and score is a great substitute for the fans not doing nearly as well in life. After all, only a minuscule percentage can claim to be the best at what they do; we identify easily with those who can make such a claim. Their success becomes ours.

It often means that sometimes an individual performance is seen as more important than its impact. When Tendulkar made his long-awaited 100th century, against Bangladesh in an ODI, India lost the match. It was one of his slowest centuries, but it didn’t matter. Individual selfishness had merged with a nation’s.

Selfish element

For, of course selfishness is an important element of greatness in sport, even if better understood in individual sport.

A top player consciously develops his selfish side in the team interest. Success at the highest level requires single-minded focus, the ability to do the job to the exclusion of everything else, and understanding one’s own importance to the team. This monk-like approach focuses on the self and on increasing the value of the self in the team context.

In the early years, such selfishness serves the team; later it serves the individual. Selfishness is one of the reasons for success; it is not something that can be turned on and off.

Recent research by sports scientists at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has found that being self-centred, ruthless and manipulative helps elite athletes achieve glory. Things like selfishness that may be considered evil in social settings are important in sporting performance. Most elite sportsmen know this instinctively. They know they cannot rise to the top without putting themselves first, working on their game obsessively. For the team to do well, they have to do well.

There is support in England for Anderson to continue playing till he decides it is over. This is one occasion when what is good for the individual is not necessarily good for the team. Asking a long-serving servant of the game to pack up and leave might appear callous, but there is no disrespect here.

Great as the individual’s past was, it is the team’s future that needs to be considered.

James Anderson, a plumber from Burnley known as “Britain’s kindest plumber,” is facing accusations of fabricating heartwarming stories to solicit donations for his charity, Depher (Disabled and Elderly, Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response), according to a BBC investigation.

The BBC alleges that Anderson has repeatedly used photos of the same dead woman in social media posts promoting Depher’s work. Additionally, the investigation claims Anderson filmed and shared videos and images of a vulnerable customer in his nineties, publicly disclosing the man’s sexuality despite his reported pleas against being filmed for social media. The unnamed customer reportedly told the BBC, “God no,” when asked for consent.

Depher claims to use donations for various purposes, including free food deliveries, covering gas and electricity bills, offering pro bono plumbing services, and even assisting with funeral costs for past clients. Anderson’s acts of charity gained significant public attention, attracting financial backing from celebrities like Hugh Grant and Lily Allen. He even secured an appearance on ITV’s “This Morning” to promote his work.

However, the BBC investigation raises questions about the legitimacy of Depher’s activities. The alleged misuse of photos and the disregard for a customer’s privacy cast a shadow on Anderson’s methods.

Anderson prevented one elderly woman from killing herself, the firm claimed. In fact, she had died years earlier.

He denied some of the BBC‘s allegations but admitted, “I’ve made mistakes.”

Since 2019, Depher has posted hundreds of stories about acts of kindness it says it has carried out.

The social media stories made him a viral sensation during the UK’s cost-of-living crisis and brought in at least 2 million pounds in donations, according to a BBC analysis of his company’s accounts.

England’s James Anderson (left) and Stuart Broad pose for a photo. File
| Photo Credit: AP

England pace legend Stuart Broad said England’s inexperienced bowling attack may have challenges after star fast bowler James Anderson’s retirement would create a “huge hole”.

England’s veteran pacer Anderson announced his decision to retire from Tests with the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s in July. Anderson, the highest wicket-taker among pace bowlers in Test cricket, will play his final red-ball game for England in July.

Anderson has stated that the series opener against the West Indies at Lord’s on July 10-14 will be his 188th and last Test match for England after a career spanning over two decades.

Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Gus Atkinson are all potential alternatives, but Broad is concerned about Ben Stokes’ bowling options moving ahead.

While Broad believes the future may be a baptism of fire for England bowlers, he does acknowledge that talent is present and waiting for opportunities.

“I think exposure for some bowlers now is really important, because there’s talent out there. You’ve got the likes of Matthew Potts who has done well in Test cricket and on a Lions tour, Gus Atkinson has loads of great attributes, Josh Tongue who struggled a bit with injuries over the winter but bowled great against Ireland and Australia,” Broad said as quoted by Sky Sports.

“Brydon Carse up at Durham has shown some good potential and has attributes to play Test match cricket – quick, tall and can certainly bat as well. Jamie Overton has struggled with injuries but shown promise as well,” he added.

“England could easily go into a Test match this summer with a very, very inexperienced bowling group. If you don’t play a (Chris) Woakes, Mark Wood has a rest and there’s no Jimmy Anderson, you could have three seamers and a spinner out there potentially with 20 caps between them. That’s quite scary as a Test captain I would have thought. We don’t know how much (Ben) Stokes’ going to bowl — we hope he does,” he added.

At 41, Anderson has played Test cricket for over two decades to become one of the greatest bowlers the format has seen. He made his Test debut at Lord’s in 2003 and has taken 700 wickets in 187 Tests.

Having neither of the two available to lead the line with the red ball in the future might cause issues, and Broad reaffirmed his concern about the void Anderson’s departure will create.

“There’s going to certainly be a huge hole left by Jimmy Anderson that someone is going to have to step into. And not just by swinging the new ball. But by communicating, by keeping calm if the boundaries are leaking, by tactically being aware of what field works at certain grounds, pitches and times of Test matches. Ultimately, you don’t learn that unless you’re thrown in,” he added. Broad describes his major trait as the desire to grow and adapt his own game.

“My thing was always continuous improvement. Jimmy’s has always been that as well, and we drove each other forward a lot with that mindset. Working on different things in the nets, run-ups – I think Jimmy worked on a new run-up at 41 – I certainly changed mine in 2019 and I was 33/34. We always had that mindset you had to keep improving,” he added.

“That was probably why he played that much. If we didn’t have that mindset, we might have played 20 Tests and then been found out,” he added. England host West Indies in a three-match ICC World Test Championship series in July, starting with the first Test at Lord’s.

File picture of England fast bowler James Anderson, who announced his retirement from Test cricket
| Photo Credit: PTI

Legendary James Anderson is set for his final appearance in Test cricket as the upcoming home season for England will be the last for cricket’s most successful fast bowler, a report in U.K. media said.

Having become the first fast bowler ever to take 700 wickets in Test cricket during England’s tour of India earlier this year, legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne’s tally of 708 wickets in the format could be on Anderson’s target as he takes the field for one final run with the England team.

ALSO READ | Anderson’s success, and how the physics of swing bowling played to it

According to The Guardian, Anderson has been told by England’s Test team coach Brendon McCullum that they are looking at the future, with an eye on the Ashes 2025-26 in Australia, which means that end of the road is near for the 41-year-old.

England are set to play Tests against West Indies and Sri Lanka at home this year and one of those fixtures is at Old Trafford — Anderson’s home ground — and that game could be the last for the right-arm bowler.

The report said that McCullum flew especially from New Zealand to the U.K. to inform Anderson about his future over a round of golf.

Anderson, who has played 187 Tests for England in a storied career which began in May 2003 along with 194 ODIs and 19 T20Is, sits third in the list of all-time highest wicket-takers in Test cricket with 700 wickets, behind Warne (708) and Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800).

It’s not every day you get to see British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak playing a game of cricket with the England cricket team. The UK PM recently joined the England team for a net session. 

In the video, shared on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Sunak can be seen talking to legendary England pacer James Anderson. Mr Sunak, known for his love of cricket, also gave a glimpse of his impressive batting skills. 

The Prime Minister looked excited to face Mr Anderson, who recently picked up his 700th wicket in Test cricket. Mr Sunak said that he practiced beforehand and jokingly asked Mr Anderson to take it easy on him, to which the bowler responded, “We’ll see.” Mr Sunak displayed an impressive technique and confidently blocked Mr Anderson’s deliveries, impressing those watching, including some young academy players. 

Clearly enjoying the training session, Mr Sunak said, “Looks like I’ll be hanging around here for the rest of the day. Just let the office know I’ll be back later.” He also took some pictures and signed autographs for people present at the venue.

Posting the video on X, Mr Sunak asked the England cricket team in the caption, “Am I ready for the call-up?”, to which they replied, “Not bad, perhaps a few more net sessions first.” 

Not bad, perhaps a few more net sessions first ???? https://t.co/u7AHCOMO08

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) April 5, 2024

This comes after the UK Prime Minister announced a £35 million initiative for the construction of 16 all-weather domes in cities hosting T20 World Cup matches in 2026 and 2030. Mr Sunak said that these domes will foster year-round cricket participation at the grassroots level. 

“I love cricket, that’s no secret. So I’m pleased that today we can support even more young people to get into the game. We’re investing £35 million in grassroots cricket to help over 900,000 young people into playing cricket,” he announced on X, on Friday. 

I love cricket, that’s no secret.

So I’m pleased that today we can support even more young people to get into the game.

We’re investing £35 million in grassroots cricket to help over 900,000 young people into playing cricket. pic.twitter.com/mN1rauyOYI

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 5, 2024

England and Wales are scheduled to host the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. In 2030, England along with Scotland and Ireland will host the men’s edition. 

Ravichandran Ashwin celebrates the wicket of England’s Ben Foakes on Day 3 of the 5th Test match, at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, in Dharamsala on March 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI

India’s Test series triumph over England lived up to the expectations as records tumbled even in the fifth game with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravichandran Ashwin and James Anderson etching their names in the history books at the scenic HPCA Stadium.

The five-match series between two cricketing giants played home to 102 sixes to make the record for the most maximums struck in a Test series.

Before this series, Ashes 2023 (Australia vs England) saw a total of 74 sixes smashed all around the different venues with Australia emerging triumphant to retain the series.

Throughout the series, India’s promising talent lived up to the expectations and delivered to fill in the holes left by the absence of some senior players like Virat Kohli and many more.

Among such players, 22-year-old, Yashasvi Jaiswal finished the series with an impressive tally of 712 runs to his name which included remarkable 26 sixes.

The southpaw batter became just the second batter to enter the 700-run club in a series and joined the elite company of ICC Hall of Famer Sunil Gavaskar who has achieved the feat twice in his decorated career.

In the final game, Jaiswal struck 57 and became the second-fastest Indian cricketer to reach 1000 runs in Test format and he took just 16 innings to achieve the feat.

Former India cricketer Vinod Kambli is the only player ahead of Jaiswal who achieved the feat in just 14 innings.

Coming to the bowlers, Ashwin who featured in his 100th Test ended the match with a nine-wicket haul to his name which included a five-for in the second innings. With his scintillating performance, Ashwin ended the series with the most number of wickets – 26.

Ashwin went past iconic spinner Anil Kumble to become the Indian bowler with the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket – 36. The 37-year-old is the first player to bag a five-wicket haul in his debut as well as in his 100th Test.

The crafty off-spinner is the fourth bowler to claim a five-for in his 100th Test. Before him, the iconic spin trio of Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Muttiah Muralitharan achieved the feat.

England’s famed pacer James Anderson became the first speedster to claim 700 wickets in Test format after he claimed the wicket of Kuldeep Yadav early in Day 3.

Featuring as the only pacer in the top four wicket-takers in Test format, the 41-year-old is just eight wickets behind the legendary Shane Warne who has 708 wickets to his name.

R. Ashwin celebrates after taking the wicket of England batsman Zak Crawley on the third day of the final Test match at HPCA Ground in Dharamshala on March 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

The predictable happened swiftly. Under two sessions on the third day of the fifth Test here, India completed the demolition job of the surprisingly-willing Englishmen for a 4-1 series triumph.

After an embarrassing loss in the first Test, despite taking a 190-run lead, India turned the script around to win the next four. But none of India’s triumphs was as dominating as the one on Saturday, the margin being an innings and 64 runs.

For the record, India resumed its first innings and folded at 477 after losing overnight not outs, Man-of-the-Match Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah for the additional of four runs.

INFOGRAPHIC | R. Ashwin’s journey to 100 Tests, 500 wickets

Trailing by 259 runs, England was never in the hunt to save an innings loss. It lost five wickets before lunch and the rest in the second session to be cleaned up for just 195.

On a day when 41-year-old James Anderson, in his 187th Test, became the first fast bowler to take 700 Test wickets, R. Ashwin picked up five wickets to tally nine for 128 in his 100th Test.

Inexplicable was England’s rush to defeat. Beginning its second innings in the seventh session of a Test, the haste of the visiting batters to play the big shots was baffling. Hit firmly between the ears by the Indian spinners in the first innings, England showed that it had not learnt any lesson. The false bravado only hastened the end and left England in very poor light in the shortest of the five Tests.

When England batted again, Ashwin started from where he left off after taking the last four first-innings wickets. He sent back the top three batters before lunch as England reeled at 103 for five.

Ashwin bowled Ben Duckett, Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes by foxing each one differently. Duckett stepped out, got himself ‘yorked’ as the ball turned just enough to beat his heave and crashed into the off-stump.

Following a change of ends, Ashwin dismissed Stokes. Guilty of playing from the crease, falling to Bumrah and the turning ball in the series, he played forward defensively but was beaten and bowled. After lunch, Foakes paid the price for his attempted slog-sweep and gave the off-spinner a 36th five-wicket haul.

Jonny Bairstow, also playing his 100th Test, smashed three sixes and two of his three boundaries off Ashwin before being dismissed by Kuldeep.

Joe Root stood amid the ruins to post his 61st Test half-century during the ninth-wicket stand with Shoaib Bashir. He displayed the approach England needed to stay alive to fight another day. He was last out for 84, holing out to Bumrah off Kuldeep, the man who started the procession of England’s wickets in the first innings.

Scoreboard

England 1st Innings: 218 all out

India 1st Innings: 477 all out

England 2nd Innings: Zak Crawley c Sarfaraz Khan b Ashwin 0 Ben Duckett b Ashwin 2 Ollie Pope c Yashasvi Jaiswal b Ashwin 19 Joe Root c Bumrah b Kuldeep Yadav 84 Jonny Bairstow lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 39 Ben Stokes b Ashwin 2 Ben Foakes b Ashwin 8 Tom Hartley lbw b Bumrah 20 Mark Wood lbw b Bumrah 0 Shoaib Bashir b Jadeja 13 James Anderson not out 0 Extras: (B-6, LB-1, NB-1) 8

Total: (All out in 48.1 overs) 195

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-21, 3-36, 4-92, 5-103, 6-113, 7-141, 8-141, 9-189, 10-195

India bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 10-2-38-2, Ravichandran Ashwin 14-0-77-5, Ravindra Jadeja 9-1-25-1, Kuldeep Yadav 14.1-0-40-2, Mohammed Siraj 1-0-8-0.

England bowler James Anderson after completing 700 wickets on the third day of the final test match at HPCA Ground in Dharamshala on March 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

With the snow-capped Dhauladhar mountain ranges providing a stunning backdrop here, James Anderson, 41, scaled ‘Mount 700’ to permanently etch his name among the greats of the game.

Precisely 15 minutes into the third day’s play on Saturday, the dismissal of Kuldeep Yadav signalled the end of Anderson’s wait. The ball kissed the outside edge of Kuldeep’s bat and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes completed the dismissal. This was the moment of the day for Anderson, England and their supporters.

On his debut against Zimbabwe in May 2003, Anderson began his wicket-tally by bowling Mark Vermeulen at Lord’s and gradually became the most reliable new-ball weapon in the English armoury.

Third to reach the mark

Playing his 187th Test, Anderson became only the third bowler — following spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708) — to take 700 Test wickets.

Since surpassing Australian Glenn McGrath’s career-tally of 563 wickets when he dismissed Mohammad Shami at The Oval in September 2018, Anderson remains the highest Test wicket-taker among fast bowlers.

The main reason for Anderson’s longevity in Tests is his decision to stay focused on red-ball cricket.

He played the last of his 194 ODIs against Afghanistan in March 2015 and finished with 269 wickets.

In fact, his T20 career lasted just 19 matches for 18 wickets and ended in 2009. In Test cricket, Anderson has three 10-wicket match-hauls and 32 five-wicket performances.

These numbers could change since Anderson is not done yet.

Indian cricket team player R. Ashwin during the practice session ahead of the India vs England final test match at HPCA Ground in Dharamshala on March 06, 2024.
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

England may be licking its wounds but nurses hope of hurting India in pretty much English weather conditions here. This optimism rose in the week leading to the fifth and final Test starting on Thursday after a fresh spell of snowfall in the higher reaches triggered another round of cold wave.

After India took a series-clinching 3-1 lead at Ranchi, some golf-playing members of the England team travelled to Bengaluru while some others camped in Chandigarh before landing here. The weather that greeted them has surely lifted their spirits.

A start-stop-start pattern of play cannot be ruled out but the prevailing day temperature will suit the Englishmen more. In conditions helping seam bowling on a pitch — last used when Delhi defeated Himachal Pradesh in February — that could make the spinners smile, England’s skipper Ben Stokes will go in with pacers James Anderson and Mark Wood, left-arm spinner Tom Hartley and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir if he recovers from a sickness bug.

About the pitch, Stokes said, “Before we even got here we were probably thinking it was going to be a three-seamer-one-spinner attack but then when we saw the wicket and then saw it again today, I think going with two seamers and two spinners is probably the right call. We felt there would probably be a bit more grass on the wicket just because of where we are but overall I think the wicket looks an absolute belter.”

Looking at the positives from the tour, Stokes said “we progressed so much on this tour. You look at the players we came out here with. Hartley, Bashir… people couldn’t believe we’d picked them. Look at what they’ve managed to achieve on this trip. We’ve seen Ollie Pope, the innings he played; Ben Duckett changed as a player and a person. I am very, very happy as a captain.”

Stokes acknowledged that the Indians were better in the series. “When the game has been on the line, their skill has been a lot better than ours, whether that be India with the bat or India with the ball. It’s skill versus skill and in the moments that have mattered, since the first game, India have been better.”

Considering the return of Jasprit Bumrah and the conditions here, Rohit Sharma did not rule out a three-man pace attack instead of sticking to the tested spin-trio on a ‘used’ pitch.

The India skipper also indicated Devdutt Paddikal’s debut could wait by backed the struggling Rajat Patidar. “He hasn’t scored as many runs he would have liked to but the guy obviously has a lot of ability. He is a talent player. Very much new to Test cricket and we should give him some more time before making a judgement on him.”

The teams:

India (from): Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, R. Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, K.S. Bharat (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Axar Patel, and Mukesh Kumar.

England (XI): Ben Stokes (Capt.), Ben Foakes (wk), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir, and James Anderson.

Umpires: Joel Wilson and Rod Tucker; TV umpires: Kumar Dharmasena and J. Madanagopal; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

Match starts at 9.30 a.m.