England announced their playing XI for the second Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, making one change to their line-up from the Perth Test. Will Jacks, the off-spinning all-rounder, has earned a recall after almost three years to the Test side, since playing in the Multan Test against Pakistan in December 2022. Jacks replaced Mark Wood in the playing XI, who will be managed through the series. The veteran pacer had returned to the Test side after a long time, and England aim to keep him fit for the remainder of the series.
Jacks, who has played just a couple of Test matches, was the second spinner in the squad and after the Perth debacle, the visitors seemed to have lengthened their batting a bit, while adding a slow bowling option. England will still have a four-man pace attack, including skipper Ben Stokes, who registered his second fifer as captain last week, while all three of Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer were retained in the side.
‘It’s something I am really looking forward to. To be on an Ashes tour in the first place is something I wouldn’t have been expecting a few months ago. But it’s been amazing to be here, be around this team. To be in the XI is a dream come true, to play an Ashes series away from home,” Jacks told the ECB media team, reacting to Test recall, mentioning that he was informed of the same by Brendon McCullum after the training session on Monday.
Given it is a day-nighter and the pink ball usually swings in the twilight, England have shored up their batting, with one less pace-bowling option. However, with the pink ball, England will require pacers who can move the ball and hence, their thinking might be right on this one. However, does it help them? Only time will tell and England desperately need to storm back into the series and level it at the Gabba, having conceded one in Perth due to Mitchell Starc and Travis Head’s stupendous show.
England playing XI for 2nd Ashes Test: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
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