Emilio Gay is set to potentially make his Test debut as England revealed their playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s. Right-arm fast bowler Sonny Baker is also in line for his red-ball debut, with expected conditions favoring seamers for the series opener starting on Thursday.
There’s a decision to be made between Baker and Gus Atkinson, depending on whether England opts for “extra air speed” or seeks to get movement from the surface if conditions become less favorable.
“We need to decide if we want the extra air speed, especially if it suddenly becomes 35 degrees and conditions flatten out. However, we could stick with the bowlers who are suited to Lord’s and can take advantage of the overhead conditions,” said England’s head coach Brendon McCullum, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
“We are confident in the group we have,” McCullum continued. “While we can’t guarantee success, we believe this lineup gives us the best chance against New Zealand at Lord’s. We want to stick with what we think will work in these conditions against this team,” he added.
England’s playing XI for the Lord’s Test against New Zealand:
Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue
More to follow……………