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England To Continue With The Same Squad For The Final Test Of Alastair Cook
By CricShots - Sep 4, 2018 7:35 pm
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The English team management has decided to go with the same squad that sealed the series for them in Southampton as they have named an unchanged unit for the fifth and the final Test against India at Kia Oval in what will be the last international match for their premier batsman Alastair Cook. This means that the opener Keaton Jennings, who has averaged 18.47 this series will get another chance to prove his worth.

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Alastair Cook to play his final Test in Oval

In a statement released by ECB, they have said that Ollie Pope has been advised to play for Surrey for the first two days of the club’s County Championship Division One game against Essex and will join Test squad on Thursday morning. Chris Woakes has been included after missing the last Test after aggravating his thigh injury.

ALSO READ: Top 5 Test Knocks Of Alastair Cook

This means that Rory Burns, the Surrey skipper and leading run-scorer in Division One in 2018 doesn’t seems to be making his Test debut before the Sri Lanka series. He and Joe Denly, the Kent batsmen, are among the favorites to replace Cook in the England squad. Nick Gubbins could also come into the equation. Talking about the same on BBC Radia 5Live on Tuesday morning, England coach, Trevor Bayliss said, “All those three names have certainly been at the forefront of chats behind the scenes.”

Moeen Ali was the star in the Southampton Test

England is having an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the series with a game to spare, a result that has ensured they do not fall below Sri Lanka, at sixth place, in the ICC Test Championship. On Monday, Cook had announced that the Kia Oval Test against India will be the last of his career.

England’s squad for the fifth and the final Test:

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.