England vs West Indies 2020: 2nd Test – England’s Predicted Playing XI

England will lock horns with the West Indies in a bid to not only avert second consecutive series defeat but to also save their 32-year-old record of having not lost a series to the men from the Caribbean on home soil in the second Test of the #raisethebat three-match series at Old Trafford in Manchester from Thursday.

After having lost the first Test by four wickets in Southampton, the home side is expected to make a few changes to their playing-11. Regular captain Joe Root will return to the side after having missed out on the opening game and due to the birth of his child. England’s team selection was a point of contention in Southampton as they left out Stuart Broad and went with the pace option of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.

With the move backfiring, will England revert to their tried and tested formula and unite Anderson and Broad? Will Mark Wood be the fall guy? Will Joe Denly retain his place or is it the end of his Test career?

Here’s a look at England Predicted Playing XI for the 2nd Test against West Indies:

Also Read: Darren Gough Reckons Jos Buttler Has Just Two Test Matches To Save His Career

Rory Burns

Rory Burns did all the hard work in the 1st Test but in both the innings, he was dismissed when he was looking set for a big innings. While his dismissal in the first innings [30 off 85 balls] can be attributed to brilliant set-up from Shannon Gabriel, who pinned him right in front of wickets with a nip-backer, he has himself to blame for his dismissal in the second essay.

After having done all the hard work during the 72-run stand with fellow opener Dom Sibley, Burns [40 off 104 balls] proceeded to hit a wide, short delivery from Roston Chase straight to point. Come Old Trafford, both Burns and England will be hoping that opener converts his starts into a big inning.

Dom Sibley

Death, taxes and Dom Sibley get out caught-behind while flicking a leg-side delivery are one of the few constants in life.

After having been undone by a Shannon Gabriel nip-backer in the first innings for a four-ball duck, Sibley helped himself to a patient half-century but then got out twice in three balls to Gabriel again.

While he was saved by Gabriel’s no-ball when he chopped it back on his stumps, he got strangled down the leg-side in the same over, and there was no-ball to save him this time. Come the 2nd Test, Sibley will be hoping to not repeat the same error.

Zak Crawley

With Joe Root coming back in the side for the 2nd Test, it was always going to be a shoot-out between Zak Crawley and Joe Denly.

Crawley’s brilliant 72 in the second innings and Joe Denly’s inability to cash-in on his starts, the fate may well have been sealed in Crawley’s favor.

Joe Root [C]

After having missed out of the 1st Test due to the birth of his second child, skipper Joe Root will come back in the side at a time when his side is starting at consecutive series defeats against the West Indies.

England’s top-order certainly missed the experience and grit of Joe Root in the 1st Test and his presence will surely add potency to the batting unit.

Ollie Pope

Ollie Pope played some sumptuous strokes in the first Test but he could not get past 12 in either innings. The prodigiously talented batsman will be looking to make his mark at Old Trafford.

Ben Stokes

Even though he ended up on the losing side, Ben Stokes has a pretty good outing in the 1st Test. Besides scoring 89 crucial runs across two innings, he also claimed six wickets, including a four-wicket haul in the first innings, and he will once again the MVP in the 2nd Test

Jos Buttler [WK]

Jos Buttler had a forgettable Test match at Rose Bowl. He managed 35 & 9 across two innings besides dropping a crucial catch of Jermaine Blackwood in the second innings.

The right-hander has managed just 627 runs in 14 games at an average of 23.22 with just three half-centuries since the start of 2019. Buttler’s Test career is effectively on a knife-edge and the Old Trafford Test could well turn out to be a career-defining for him.

Dom Bess

Dom Bess scored crucial runs in the first innings [31] and claimed two wickets in the first innings but he struggled to make an impact when it mattered the most- 4th innings.

Bess bowled just 10 overs on the final day in which he gave away 31 runs. The off-spinner would be hoping for a better performance at Old Trafford.

Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer [0-61 in 22 overs] did not look in his usual rhythm during the 1st innings but it seems the online tussle with Tino Best gave him the tonic that he needed.

Archer returned with a breathtaking spell in the second West Indian innings where he retired hurt an opener [John Campbell], pushed Kraig Brathwaite and Shamrah Brooks on the backfoot before pinning one LBW and shattering the stumps of other and of-course dismissed Roston Chase with a jaffa; one that kicked up viciously to take the outside edge of Chase’s bat.

England would be hoping more for that from Archer throughout the second Test.

Stuart Broad

Will Mark Wood, who managed just two wickets in the last Test, be the fall guy and be replaced by Stuart Broad in Manchester, or will England persist with the same formula?

Chris Silverwood remained non-commital in the post-match interview, but the second-highest wicket-taker for England, Broad does make a case for his selection at Old Trafford.

In 6 Tests played at the venue, Broad has taken 18 wickets at an average of 28.88.

Also Read: Stuart Broad Not A Certainty For The Second Test: Chris Silverwood

James Anderson

Or will England James Anderson, who is coming back after an injury-ridden last year?

Anderson claimed three-wicket in the first innings but didn’t quite hit his straps- as he generally does- and returned wicketless. With back-to-back Test matches coming up, it will be interesting to see how England plans to manage Anderson’s workload.