England have announced their playing XI for the upcoming second Test match against New Zealand, which is set to take place on June 17 at The Oval. With Ben Stokes unavailable for selection, England have included some fresh faces, selecting Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker in the XI for their debuts, Joe Root will lead the side.
Several fresh faces in the lineup
Notably, the Three Lions have brought back Matt Fisher, with the speedster coming back to the Test setup after four years since his debut in the format. On the other hand, Jofra Archer is back in the XI after missing the first game because of workload management.
Unfortunately, England have been forced into another change after Ollie Robinson, who played a pivotal role in the first Test win, was ruled out because of soreness in his right knee. Shoaib Bashir will not play the second Test with keeping the seam-friendly conditions.
Joe Root's batting concern
Joe Root has not enjoyed a good run in Test cricket in 2026. Despite scoring 160 against Australia in the Sydney Test, his bat has remained silent on most of the occasions. The star right-handed batter has endured a tough comeback in the format, as he managed just 1 and 8 in a bowling-friendly game against New Zealand, which made him lose his World No.1 ranking. The England skipper will aim to lead from the front in the second Test,
England's playing XI for second Test vs New Zealand
Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matt Fisher, Emilio Gay, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue.