England vs West Indies 2020: 1st Test - England's Predicted Playing XI

England will finally kickstart their home summer when they lock horns against the West Indies at the bio-secure Rose Bowl in Southampton from Thursday, July 08.

Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes will lead the English team in the absence of regular skipper Joe Root, who is unavailable due to the birth of his second child.

England named a 13-member squad ahead of the first Test and it is likely that Stuart Broad might possibly miss out from the series opener.

⚠️ BREAKING NEWS ⚠️

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So, what is the likely playing XI that England could possibly field in the 1st Test against the West Indies:

Also Read: England vs West Indies, 2020: Squads, Schedule, Live Streaming Details And Everything You Need To Know About

Rory Burns

Rory Burns struggled against the likes of Kemar Roach, Jason Holder, and Shanon Gabriel. In 6 innings, Burns managed just 145 runs at an average of 24.16.

But he is a different player now as compared to that series in the Caribbean. In 15 Tests, the gritty opener has 6 half-centuries and two hundreds against his name and he would be rearing to go after having missed out on the winter series against South Africa due to an unfortunate ankle injury.

Dom Sibley

Having made his debut against New Zealand last year, Dom Sibley gave an account of his prodigious talent in the four-match series against South Africa.

With 324 runs in 4 Tests at an average of 54, Sibley was the leading run-scorer for his side and the second-highest run-getter during that rubber. Can he do an encore of his exploits on home soil?

Joe Denly

With 780 runs in 14 Tests since the start of 2019, Joe Denly has been England’s quintessential No.3 in the longest format of the game.

With Joe Root not in the side for the 1st Test, Denly is the most experienced batsman in the home sides’ top-order, and the onus will be on him to spearhead the batting unit.

Also Read: England vs West Indies 2020: 1st Test – Dream 11, Fantasy Tips, Pitch Report And Playing 11

Zak Crawley

Zak Crawley impressed in the three outings that he got as a Test match opener during the winter Test series against South Africa.

In 5 innings, Crawley scored 163 runs at an average of 32.60. He looked in good form, scoring 43 and 34 in the inter-squad warm-up game against the likes of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer.

With Joe Root not available for the 1st Test and regular opener Rory Burns back in the set-up, Crawley will most likely bat at the No.4 spot.

Ollie Pope

This series will give another opportunity to the prodigiously talented Ollie Pope to showcase his immense potential, much like what he did in South Africa.

In 5 Tests that Pope has played since the start of 2019, he has racked up 376 runs at an average of 62.66 including three half-centuries and a hundred.

Ben Stokes [C]

The year 2019 showed that Benjamin Stokes can do anything on a cricket field; he can bat or bowl England out of a precarious situation. But can he lead? We’ll wait and see.

Jos Buttler [WK]

Jos Buttler is one of the leading wicket-keeper batsmen in white-ball cricket but the same hasn’t been the case in Test matches.

Buttler has been struggling for runs for some time now. In 25 Test innings since the start of 2019, he has managed just 583 runs at an average of 23.32. With the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes waiting in the wings, this series will be very crucial for Buttler.

Dom Bess

Dom Bess has expressed his desire to become England’s premier spinner in red-ball cricket. Bess claimed eight wickets in the two Tests that he played against South Africa.

Should England go for a spin option, Bess is likely to make the cut ahead of seam-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes.

Jofra Archer

Archer is fully fit after the injury that he suffered in South Africa. The Barbados born fast bowler will be playing against the country of his birth for the first time, and it will be interesting to see how he goes about his business.

Archer claimed two wickets in the inter-squad warm-up match.

Mark Wood

Will Stuart Broad, who is nearing 500 Test wickets, miss out from the 1st Test of the summer? If reports are to be believed, England is mulling at unleashing the pace bowling duo of Wood and Archer.

Wood was in brilliant form during the winter series against South Africa and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the home summer.

James Anderson

James Anderson hasn’t played much cricket in the past 12 months due to injury but the right-hander had a good hit out in the recently concluded warm-up game where he bowled a total of 24 overs for his two wickets.

Anderson has claimed 82 wickets in 20 Tests at an average of 22.15 against the West Indies which also includes five-wicket hauls. He will once again be the trump card for the hosts.