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 ⚠️
We have named our squad for the first #raisethebat Test against @windiescricket ?
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 4, 2020
So, what is the likely playing XI that England could possibly field in the 1st Test against the West Indies:
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.