Published: Sep 06, 2017, 06:31 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 06, 2017, 06:31 PM (IST)
England have recalled Toby Roland-Jones for the third and final Test against the West Indies at the Middlesex paceman’s Lord’s home ground, skipper Joe Root said Wednesday. Roland-Jones is the only change to the side that suffered a surprise five-wicket defeat by the West Indies in the second Test at Headingley as the tourists levelled the three-match series at 1-1. The 29-year-old, who made his debut in the recent home series win over South Africa, was omitted despite taking 14 wickets at under 20 apiece in his first three Tests and was replaced in Leeds by Chris Woakes.
Now, however, the roles are reversed with Roland-Jones coming back into the side at Warwickshire all-rounder Woakes’s expense. “Home conditions, he (Roland-Jones) obviously knows the surfaces and is bowling very well at the moment,” Root told reporters at Lord’s on Wednesday when asked to explain the change in his XI. It’s obviously very difficult to leave somebody like Chris out, he’s been a consistent performer in Test cricket for England. But this is a team I think is going to win this week,” star batsman Root added the day before Thursday’s start. There’s plenty of cricket to be played throughout the rest of this summer and he (Woakes) is a fantastic performer across all formats. I fully expect him to come back strong.”
