In a bid to turn the tide in the Ashes series, England has opted for consistency by sticking with most of their regular players in the 15-man squad for the third Test at Headingley, starting from July 6. Rehan Ahmed and Matty Potts have been dropped from the squad, while the fitness of key players Ollie Pope and Moeen Ali remains a concern.
Ollie Pope, the top-order batsman, is set to undergo scans on his troublesome shoulder after sustaining an injury during England's 43-run defeat to Australia in the second Test at Lord's. The 25-year-old's availability for the upcoming Test is uncertain, and selectors are closely monitoring his condition in the lead-up to the match.
Meanwhile, experienced spinner Moeen Ali is also uncertain due to a finger problem. Rehan Ahmed, who was added to the squad as cover for Moeen in the Lord's Test, has been left out for the Headingley Test, indicating a positive sign for Moeen's fitness.
If Pope is unable to participate, it is likely that Dan Lawrence will earn a place in England's playing XI. Lawrence, the right-handed batsman, is the only spare batter in the squad named by selectors on Sunday.
The exclusion of Matty Potts suggests that either Mark Wood or Chris Woakes will join the XI at Headingley. England is expected to rotate their bowling attack to manage the workload of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Ollie Robinson, who have featured in the first two Tests.
After Australia's victories in the opening two matches of the five-Test series, England faces a challenging task of winning the remaining three contests to regain the urn and achieve a remarkable comeback from a 2-0 deficit. The team is determined to make a statement in the upcoming Test at Headingley, as they aim to keep their hopes alive of claiming an Ashes series victory, becoming only the second team in history to achieve such a feat.
England squad for third Test: Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood