England has dropped jason Roy and Ben Stokes will play as a specialist batsman in the final Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval.
Stokes was confined to 10.5 overs in Old Trafford a week after injuring his shoulder in Australia’s first innings and are not going to bowl at south London from Thursday because England seem to make a 2-2 series draw.
Sam Curran was drafted in as a fourth largest seam-bowling choice to cover, significance batsman Roy – that has scored only 110 runs in the series at an average of 13.75 – produces way, while Chris Woakes has been remembered instead of fellow paceman Craig Overton.
England captain Joe Root stated:”It is always hard to leave men out but Stokesy picked up a shoulder injury in the previous game.
“He won’t have the ability to bowl the overs you’d usually expect him and I believe it would be a risk to take him into the match as a fourth seamer.
“He might have the ability to bowl a few overs here and there but his batting isalso, since this series shows , a enormous portion of the side and he rightly deserves to be in the team as a top-four batter.
“That we have needed to alter the balance of both sides and Jason is the unlucky one to miss out.
“Jason has had an chance to come in and play Test cricket and get a sense for this and it’s not really gone as he would have enjoyed, but I’m sure he’ll go off and work exceptionally hard and come back again.
“That’s what you expect of men when they get made out. I’m sure he will have that mindset. He will want to establish a point and get himself back into the negative.
“He’s very conscious of where he is in and what he needs to do for himself in the ideal place to perform in Test cricket”
Australia – that kept the Ashes on Sunday having a success in Manchester – will create at least one alteration with all all-rounder Mitchell Marsh coming for part-time spinner Travis Head and batsman, in The Oval.
Peter Siddle has been appointed in a group, and is expecting to split up the pace attack of Pat Cummins,” Mitchell Starc along with Josh Hazlewood.
“The bowlers bowled a great deal of overs [at Old Trafford] so bringing in Mitchell will ease a whole lot of the workload on these,” said Australia captain Tim Paine at his press conference.
“It was a tough call on Travis, who’d made a great start to his Test career, but we only need a little more bowling thickness on what seems like a excellent wicket and to have the ability to look after out big fast bowlers.
“Mitchell also includes two Test hundreds so we have complete faith in him with the bat”
Paine’s negative will look to win the Ashes series outright for the first time in England since 2001, when Steve Waugh captained the Baggy Greens into a 4-1 success and lead the series 2-1.
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