Mark Wood replaces Ollie Robinson as England announce Playing XI for 5th Test vs India
Updated - 06 Mar 2024, 02:34 PM
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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has named the playing XI for the final Test of the ongoing five-match series against India. England has made just one change to their lineup from the previous Test match, where they suffered a five-wicket loss in Ranchi.
The fifth Test between India and England will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, starting on Thursday, March 7. The Ben Stokes-led team will be hoping to finish the series with a victory, as India has already sealed the series win.
Mark Wood Replaces Ollie Robinson In England’s Playing XI
The England selectors have chosen Mark Wood to replace Ollie Robinson in the playing XI. However, the team management persisted with James Anderson despite him playing three consecutive Tests. Anderson needs just two wickets to complete 700 Test wickets.
In the Ranchi Test, Ollie Robinson failed to make an impact with the ball. He remained wicketless in India’s first innings and did not bowl in the next innings. However, he contributed 58 runs and formed a crucial partnership with Joe Root in England’s first innings.
“England Men have named their team to take on India in the fifth Test match in Dharamshala starting on Thursday. The Three Lions have made one change with Mark Wood returning to replace Ollie Robinson,” the statement read.
England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson, and Shoaib Bashir
It Doesn’t Mean That We’ve Gone Backwards – Ben Stokes
England captain Ben Stokes emphasized the numerous positives gleaned from their tour of India despite the series defeat. Stokes highlighted improvements in fitness and overall performance compared to previous matches.
“Just because the scoreline at the moment reads 3-1, it doesn’t mean that we’ve gone backwards. There are lots of these things that we have massively progressed on as a team whilst out on this tour. The individuals and the team have massively evolved on this tour. The way in which everyone committed to becoming a better version of themselves from when we last played was quite obvious; everyone’s fitter and it was just a really different feel around how we operated from the summer before,” Stokes said.
England secured an initial victory in the series opener in Hyderabad but faced consecutive defeats in the subsequent matches, leading to their series loss. This outcome marked the team’s first Test series defeat since the beginning of Brendon McCullum’s tenure.
The team management handed debuts to Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley in the ongoing series. Both players justified their selections with impressive bowling performances. Hartley claimed seven wickets in the fourth innings during the series opener in Hyderabad.
Shoaib Bashir claimed his maiden five-wicket haul during the first innings of the fourth Test. The young off-spinner also took three wickets in the second innings. Despite his bowling efforts, the visiting team failed to secure a victory, conceding a 3-1 lead to the opposition.
