The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have announced England's playing XI for the third Test match against India, which is scheduled to take place at the iconic Lord's Stadium in London from July 10-14. The hosts have added pace spearhead Jofra Archer in the playing XI for the upcoming Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Archer, who was named in the England squad after the first Test, will be seen featuring in a Test match after February 2021. His last Test outing came against India in Ahmedabad.
England skipper Ben Stokes reckons that Archer's inclusion in the playing XI for the Lord's Test is very exciting for the fans and the team. He also believes that after two tough games, it's the right time to get the fresh legs in. The speedster replaced Josh Tongue for the third clash of the five-Test match series.
"Really exciting… great for English fans and for Jofra Archer. Long time coming for him. The way he handled injury setback was commendable. Very exciting for the group. We have had two tough games. Feel its right time to get fresh legs in." said Ben Stokes in pre match conference.
Archer has represented England in 13 Tests, where he picked up 42 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls. He made his debut on August 14, 2019, against Australia at Lord's Stadium in London.
The five-Test match series between India and England is currently tied 1-1 after India's dominating 336-run historic win at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.
England Men's Test XI:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir.