England all-rounder Chris Woakes will have to wait for a return to Test cricket after not being part of the ongoing one-off Test against Ireland at Lord’s. Woakes, the last of whose 45 Test matches for England had come during the tour of West Indies 14 months ago, was left out of the Playing XI which was announced on the eve of the match.
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All in all, England have made three changes to the XI which had faced New Zealand in Wellington three months ago. While wicket-keeper batter Ben Foakes had been dropped from the squad to accommodate Jonny Bairstow, pacers James Anderson and Ollie Robinson have been left out due to groin and ankle issues respectively.
Having won the toss unlike the tour of New Zealand, England captain Ben Stokes opted to bowl first . “Looks a pretty good pitch to bowl. Looking forward to get out there as a group. We are going to take everyday as it comes this summer,” Stokes told host broadcaster Sky Sports Cricket on the first day of this English international summer.
Why is Chris Woakes Not Playing Today vs Ireland?
Other than Bairstow, pacers Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue are also part of the home team’s Playing XI today. While Potts is playing his sixth match after having played five home Tests last summer, Tongue is taking part in his first-ever international match.
Readers must note that Tongue is the one who has grabbed Woakes’ spot in the Playing XI. A decision which left former England captain Michael Atherton “a little bit” surprised, Tongue has been preferred over Woakes due to the X-factor attached to him as a right-arm fast bowler.
With an Ashes series to be played later this month, England didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to test an exciting prospect such as Tongue especially when they are more than aware about Woakes’ offerings. Having begun his international career with a maiden over, the 25-year old player would be looking to leave a long-lasting impression during the course of the next four days.
Addressing the reporters before the match on Wednesday, Stokes had labeled benching Woakes as a “hard decision”. However, he had also laid emphasis that Woakes understood the rational behind England’s unconventional move.
“It was a hard decision to make. We know Woakesy is a very experienced player and what he will offer this team when he plays. We see this as a great opportunity to see someone like Josh Tongue go out and play in a Test.
“It gives me an opportunity to see what his character is like and what he is like to operate with as a captain. Woakesy completely understood that.”
