The English all-rounder Ben Stokes has been now been included from the England squad as the team management has announced a 14-man squad on Monday for the third Test against India at Trent Bridge starting Saturday, where victory would see the hosts to clinch the series.
Stokes has been found not guilty of affray after a fight near a Bristol nightclub in September last year which saw him left out by England as they thrashed India by an innings and 159 runs in the second Test at Lord’s on Sunday to take a morale-boosting lead of 2-0 up with three to play in the five-match Test series.
However, a brief statement issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said, “Now that the legal proceedings have concluded, the disciplinary process for Ben Stokes and Alex Hales can be scheduled by the Cricket Discipline Commission [CDC]. Ben Stokes will now join the England squad for the third Specsavers Test against India, which starts at Trent Bridge on Saturday. Considerable detail has been heard in this week-long court case and, in due course, there will be a range of matters for the Board to fully consider.”
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Another fast bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes, who took Stokes’s place, has had a memorable outing at Lord’s with both bat and ball in a man-of-the-match display. Woakes played a knock of 137 not out, which was also his maiden Test century, and also took four wickets as England overpowered India, the world’s top-ranked Test squad.
By naming the same squad, England retained uncapped Essex paceman Jamie Porter and off-spinner Moeen Ali, both of whom missed out on a place in their XI that played at Lord’s.
England squad for the third Test
Alastair Cook (Essex), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Joe Root (Yorkshire, capt), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire, wkt), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durhan), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jamie Porter (Essex)