ENG vs WI, 2nd Test, Day 1: West Indies Elects To Bowl First With An Unchanged Team
West Indies have a 1-0 lead in the series following their four-wicket win in the first Test played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
West Indies captain Jason Holder on Thursday won the toss and elected to bowl against England in the second Test of the ongoing three-match series at the Old Trafford. ALSO READ | Major Blow To Hosts As Jofra Archer Excluded From Old Trafford Test Due To BioSecure Protocols Breach
The toss and 2nd Test got delayed due to wet weather conditions. Bless the ground staff, they worked efficiently to get the field dried off quickly. Windies skipper Jason Holder won the toss and opted to bowl first.
"We're going to try to make use of the overhead conditions," said Holder. "It looks a little bit drier than the last game. We've gone with the same team. The bowlers have pulled up well."
A big blow for the hosts came just before the game after Jofra Archer has been left out of the second Test after breaching England's bio-secure protocols.
"Enough's been said (on the Jofra Archer situation)," said England skipper Joe Root. "With both (Mark Wood and James Anderson) having come back from two very serious injuries, it seemed very high-risk to play them in this game.
"We're blessed with some fantastic players waiting in the wings. We've definitely got an attack that can take 20 wickets. It was a difficult one at the toss, it looked a good wicket. It feels a little bit softer than usual but very much looking forward to getting out there," he added.
West Indies have a 1-0 lead in the series following their four-wicket win in the first Test played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
Teams:
England (Playing XI): Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Root(c), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler(w), Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad
West Indies (Playing XI): Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich(w), Jason Holder(c), Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel
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