On the eve of the second Test match against India in Chennai, the visitors England have named their 12-man squad and announced four changes from the first game. The final XI will be confirmed at the toss on Saturday.
Veteran pacer James Anderson will be rested and as will be spinner Dom Bess to go along with the exclusion of Jofra Archer due to injury and Jos Buttler, who was available for the first Test only.
England have brought in senior pacer Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes and Olly Stone in their 12-man squad for the second Test.
"We have made four changes. I can name the 12 at the moment. Ben Foakes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad and Olly Stone have come into the squad. It will depend on which four we play," confirmed England skipper Joe Root while speaking to the media on Friday.
Root’s marvellous double century in his 100th Test and some incisive bowling by Anderson on Day 5 set up the win for the visitors in the first of the four matches in the series. Both Anderson and Bess had taken five wickets each in the first Test which England won by a massive margin of 227 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
England and India will move to Ahmedabad after the second Test for the remainder of the series, which also includes a Pink-ball Test.
England captain Joe Root also announced that Jofra Archer is expected to be fit for the third Test. Root also confirmed that Ben Foakes will be the designated wicket-keeper for England.
"Bairstow will be available as a pure batsman...We are hoping that Archer can rest and be fit for the third Test (in Ahmedabad)," said Root.
England XII: Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach and Olly Stone.
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