England strengthen bowling line-up with Gus Atkinson for crucial Lord’s Test against India

England have responded swiftly to their 336-run defeat to India in the second Test at Edgbaston by adding fast bowler Gus Atkinson to their squad for the third Test at Lord’s.

Atkinson, who sustained a hamstring injury during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May, has now fully recovered. The 27-year-old is set to be in contention for the third ICC World Test Championship match, which begins in London on Thursday.

Advertisement

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-player squad for the Lord’s Test just hours after the heavy loss in Birmingham. England captain Ben Stokes hinted at potential changes to the playing XI as the team looks to bounce back in the five-match series, which is now level at 1-1.

“It’s no secret that we’ve spent a lot of time in the field and bowled a lot of overs in the first two games, so we’ll have to see how everyone pulls up over the next couple of days,” Stokes said.

“With the quick turnaround, there will probably be some decisions to make based on how the players recover. Everyone is in consideration for the game at Lord’s,” he added.

In addition to Atkinson, England may consider recalling fellow pacer Jofra Archer, while young batter Jacob Bethell could come into contention should the team decide to reshuffle the top order.

Stokes emphasized the need for the team to move on quickly from the Edgbaston setback, maintaining focus as the pivotal third Test approaches.

“We’ve had some unbelievable wins and some bad defeats,” Stokes admitted. “I think I — and the team — have been good at staying level through the ups and downs. That’s crucial in a series like this, where we knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“We need to put this one behind us quickly because day one at Lord’s is just around the corner. We’ve got a day or two to get the bodies right, recover, and then, before we know it, we’ll be out there flipping the coin again.”

England squad for the third Test

Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.