In the upcoming second Test against Sri Lanka, set to begin on August 29 in London, Olly Stone replaces Mark Wood in England's lineup. This is the only alteration for the hosts, who secured a win in the series opener, held in Manchester on Saturday.
Due to Mark Wood's injury, England has decided to bring in Olly Stone as the sole substitution. Ollie Pope will captain the side in place of regular skipper Ben Stokes for this match at the iconic Lord's.
Stone, representing Nottinghamshire, returns to the Test squad for the first time since 2021. Despite dealing with injuries, he has taken part in three Tests since making his debut in 2019, claiming a total of 10 wickets. The 30-year-old fast bowler is expected to deliver a pace similar to Wood’s, further bolstering England's formidable bowling attack.
"Hopefully, I can go out there and try to match his speeds. He's certainly one of the fastest in the world, so replicating that might be a challenge, but I'll give it my all," Stone said after being named in the XI.
The England side will feature Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, and Shoaib Bashir.
In the first Test, Wood bowled 18.2 overs across two innings before sustaining an injury during Sri Lanka's second innings on Friday, which forced him off the field. Subsequent scans revealed a muscle strain in his right thigh, ruling him out for the remainder of the series.
Stone was chosen over 20-year-old left-arm pacer Josh Hull, who had been included in the England squad prior to the second Test. Hull, standing at 6 feet 7 inches, put in notable performances during the warm-up match against Sri Lanka, taking five wickets across two innings while representing the England Lions.
With a five-wicket win in the first Test, England aims to secure the series at Lord's, currently leading the three-match series 1-0.