James Anderson and Mark Wood Rested for Second Test Against West Indies in Manchester

England pacers James Anderson and Mark Wood have been rested for the second Test against West Indies beginning in Manchester on Thursday (July 16).

Sam Curran and Ollie Robinson have been added to the 13-man squad from the reserves.

The decision to rest the experienced Anderson means Stuart Broad is likely to return to the XI. Chris Woakes, who too was a part of the first Test squad, is likely to come in for Wood.

Broad was left out of the first Test with England going for the pace duo of Wood and Archer. However, Wood and Archer bagged only five wickets combined across two innings. Wood got only two and posed little threat, while Archer showed sparks of hostility in the second innings.

Anderson, meanwhile, is England’s highest wicket-taker with 587 wickets across 152 Tests. He bagged three wickets in the first innings in Southampton and none in the second innings.

ALSO READ: Joe Denly Dropped, Joe Root Returns to England Squad for Second Test in Manchester

“I think there’s challenges that present themselves in this Covid era,” Root explained. “With the games coming around quickly, managing bowlers is going to be quite important. Getting the balance right with a few of them coming back from injury, it’s about making the right calls at the right times. We are blessed with a number of guys who haven’t played or weren’t in the squad who’ve averaged 20 in the last couple of years in English conditions.”

England captain Joe Root also confirmed that they have dropped Joe Denly from the squad.

Root had missed the first Test in Southampton for the birth of his second child. In Root’s absence, England lost the Test by four wickets to give West Indies a 1-0 series lead.

Root will return to the England XI and also take over captaincy from Ben Stokes, who had stood for him in the first Test.

England squad for second Test: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.