England has announced their Playing XI for the 2nd Test of the on-going Ashes series against Australia, and Moeen Ali has been dropped. The Ashes rivalry between the two cricketing giants resumed with a bang as Australia came out on top in the first match of the series by two wickets, thanks to a spectacular performance by Pat Cummins. The upcoming Test is all set to take place at Lord’s in London on June 28th.
England’s decision to drop Moeen Ali, who made his comeback from retirement in the first Test, was an unexpected move. Instead, they have chosen to field the Worcestershire fast bowler, Josh Tongue. He will make his Ashes debut after having picked up 16 wickets in the County Championship.
England’s decision to drop Moeen Ali may have been influenced by his struggle to put up meaningful scores recently. During the first Test, Ali scored a meager 13 runs and could only claim two wickets in the match. On the other hand, Josh Tongue has been consistently performing well in County Cricket and possesses formidable talent that could give Australia some trouble.
England’s Playing XI for the 2nd Test match is as follows:
1. Joe Root (C), 2. Rory Burns, 3. Zak Crawley, 4. Dominic Sibley, 5. Ollie Pope, 6. Jonny Bairstow (WK), 7. Sam Curran, 8. Olly Stone, 9. Stuart Broad, 10. James Anderson, 11. Josh Tongue.
As England sets to take on Australia in the 2nd Test, the match is bound to get competitive. Even though Australia emerged victorious in the first, England’s team has the capability to make a comeback and turn the tide of the series.
The second Test match between England and Australia at Lord’s will be played in front of a full crowd for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to watch the game from the stands, and with two formidable teams playing some of the best cricket around, the match is set to be an enthralling spectacle.
