Highlights, England vs West Indies 2020, 2nd Test, Day 1 Cricket Match at Manchester, Full Cricket Score: Hosts reach 207/3 at stumps – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

July 16, 2020 trendingspace 0 Comments

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England suffered a huge setback hours before the second Test match against West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester as pacer Jofra Archer was excluded from the team after he breached bio-secure protocols. The second Test will see the return of Test captain Joe Root, who had taken paternity leave for the birth of his child.

Root’s return had strengthened England but now with Archer excluded, the team has suffered a big blow in series ahead of the second Test.

File image of England skipper Joe Root and his West Indian counterpart Jason Holder. Reuters

The first Test was won by Windies by four wickets in Southampton. Jason Holder had led from the front, picking up crucial wickets and contributing with some runs, to give his side a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The visitors are high on confidence and will be aiming to make it 2-0 at Manchester and seal the series.

Windies will hope to carry the winning momentum in second Test and Archer’s exclusion must have done a world of good to these hopes.

It would be interesting to see what bowling combination Root goes for, now after Archer’s guaranteed absence. Stand-in captain in first Test, Ben Stokes had left out Stuart Broad. Root’s choice will keenly watched at the toss as Mark Wood and James Anderson will be resting. That is why Broad’s return looks likely. Circumstances also open space for Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Ollie Robinson.

Squads:

England: Ben Stokes, James Anderson, Dominic Bess, Jofra Archer, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (captain), Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler, Dom Sibley, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran