Cricket news: How England’s XI could shape up for the second Test v New Zealand

Joe Root captains the England side as they take on New Zealand at The Oval on Wednesday in the second of their three-match Test series.

The starting XI was announced on Monday and includes four players who didn’t feature at Lord’s: Jofra Archer, Matt Fisher, Sonny Baker and Jordan Cox - with the latter two making their Test debuts, writes Sports News Blitz’s Jacob Hibbert.

The changes come after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were involved in an incident at a nightclub after the first victory of the English Test summer.

Player of the Match Ollie Robinson is out as he struggles with pain in his right knee and Shoaib Bashir has also been left out, as England go without a full-time spinner.

Change in the pace department

Josh Tongue is the only player remaining from England’s four-man pace attack that bowled beautifully in the first Test.

This seam attack looks to pose a different problem for the Black Caps, with Archer, Baker and Tongue all capable of bowling upwards of 90mph.

Despite Sonny Baker’s pace, he has struggled in the two white-ball matches he has played for England so far, and is yet to pick up a wicket for his country, with ODI figures of 0-76 from seven and T20 figures of 0-52 from four.

At just 23 years old, he has been in good form at the start of the County Championship season, taking 22 wickets for Hampshire. 

As for Matthew Fisher, his only Test cap for England came in Barbados in 2022 against the West Indies, where he picked up just one wicket.

However, he has been bowling well for Surrey, taking 18 wickets in Division One of the County Championship - the same number as Ollie Robinson.

Jofra Archer returns to the side, as England manage his fitness following his time in the IPL.

When fully fit, his 18 Tests have shown what he is capable of and it is likely he and Tongue will lead the attack for the hosts.

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Steadfast batting line-up

It looks as though England’s top order remains the same for the second Test: Duckett, Gay, Bethell, Root, Brook.

The only change to this, is the fact that Harry Brook has taken Joe Root’s place as the world’s number one Test batter in the ICC Men’s rankings. 

Root has dropped down to third, with Australia’s Travis Head moving into second. It is the first time since December 2, 2024 that the English duo haven’t occupied the top two spots.

The current form and permanent class of England’s top order points to a side which is able to score plenty of runs, should conditions be easier to navigate than they were at Lord’s.

Jordan Cox is likely to bat at six as Ben Stokes’ replacement, following his time with the England Lions and a double-ton for Essex in the sole County Championship game he has played this year, whilst also batting six.

However, he is unlikely to take the gloves off of Surrey’s Jamie Smith, who kept well in the Test earlier this month.

It looks like the Surrey man will move back to number seven with the absence of England’s captain - a position he is used to regularly batting for the Test side.

A gap between bat and ball

It is unclear as to whether Stokes will play for England again, in a decision described by coach Brendon McCullum as one to be made ‘down the line’. 

Stokes’ replacement Jordan Cox is ordinarily a wicketkeeper and his inclusion means that England don’t have an out and out all-rounder to bridge the gap between the batters and bowlers.

There is a rather distinct tail from number eight down. Archer has the best test average of the four bowlers at 10.72, Tongue just 6.3. Fisher didn’t score a Test run in his one cap, whilst Baker is yet to make a Test appearance.

Therefore, you get the feeling that once the top seven have fallen, a collapse for England wouldn’t be too far away. 

It is not necessarily that England’s tail is longer than it has been in the past, but rather a feeling that it is unlikely to wag without the likes of Gus Atkinson in the side.

Not only Atkinson, but in recent years England have had the likes of Chris Woakes who averaged 25 in Tests and even the likes of Stuart Broad were capable of a Test hundred.

Regardless of this, it still looks to be an exciting England side capable of beating New Zealand, but there will be question marks over the experience of the replacements if the result does not go England's way.

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