CricketWoakes, Wood and Moeen Ali added to England’s squad for third Ashes test
The third test of the Ashes 2023 will begin today in Headingley, and England has made three changes to their squad. Chris Woakes , Mark Wood, and Moeen Ali will return to the playing 11, replacing James Anderson, Josh Tongue, and Ollie Pope. The third test will be very crucial for England because they are trailing the five-match series by 0-2 and need to win this match to make a comeback.
Anderson’s change was expected the most
Out of the three changes, James Anderson’s was the most expected because he has had a poor start to the series with just three wickets. Recently, he also wrote about his bad performance in the series and stated Edgbaston’s pitch to be ‘kryptonite’. The bowler replacing Anderson is Woakes, who will play his first test after September 2021. He has a good record of 94 wickets on England’s pitch, which makes him an obvious replacement. Pope has been ruled out of the series due to a dislocated shoulder, but Woakes skills with the bat will benefit England as he has played some important innings for the team.
Stokes’ expressed distress after Pope’s exit from the series
During the media conference, England’s skipper stated that the team is devastated for Pope because he has been a major contributor to what England has achieved in the last 18 months. He was the vice captain of the team, so it is upsetting not only for the team but for him as well because he is going to miss out on the remaining series now. With Moeen Ali returning to the squad, England will have batting depth. Pope’s role has now been given to Harry Brook. Stokes stated that his own workload as an all-rounder after a tough 12-over spell in the second innings at Lord’s was a major reason for packing the team with additional bowling options.
Moeen Ali didn’t play the second test because he injured his spinning finger, but now that it is recovered, the veteran will be returning to the series. His appearance in the first test of the Ashes 2023 was his first since retiring after the India series in 2021. The 36-year-old now just needs two wickets to reach 200 in test format. If we talk about Mark Wood, his extra pace will give England a real point of difference. After missing the first two tests, he will be eagerly ready for some action.
