Josh Tongue replaces Moeen Ali in only England change Mark Wood rules himself out of selection for Lord’s clash
Ben Stokes insisted there would be no change to his win-or-bust approach to Test cricket despite England going into Wednesday’s second Ashes Test 1-0 down in the series, saying he would “absolutely not” consider playing for a draw no matter what position his team finds itself in at Lord’s.
The game will see Josh Tongue make his second Test appearance as part of an all-seam frontline bowling group. That decision was informed by concerns over Moeen Ali’s fitness, the poor recent record of English spinners at Lord’s (in the last five years England have taken 16 wickets here with spin at an average of 36.12, and 120 wickets with seam at an average of 21.69), and by Mark Wood’s decision not to play.
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