England have recalled Dawid Malan to the Test side while dropping Dom Sibley ahead of the third Test against India starting August 25 in Leeds. Malan has played 15 Tests for 724 runs, the last of which was against India in Birmingham in 2018.
Mark Wood is expected to be fit for the Test, the ECB added. Lancashire seamer Saqib Mahmood is included in the squad too.
“The Test series is beautifully poised, and we are relishing the prospect of aiming to bounce back at Emerald Headingley next week,” England coach Chris Silverwood said.
“Dawid Malan deserves his opportunity in the Test arena. He has a lot of experience across all formats and, if called upon, I am confident that he can come and do well on his home ground. In the limited time he has played first-class cricket this season, he has shown what he is capable of, scoring a highly accomplished 199 for Yorkshire against Sussex at Headingley in June.
“Zak Crawley will return to Kent to galvanise the excellent work he did last week in the nets at Lord’s with Assistant Coach Graham Thorpe. Zak is still a massive part of our plans moving forward, but we feel he would benefit from time outside the pressure of international competition to get some time working on his skills. He has a bright future and I do not doubt that his time will come again in the Test arena.
“Dom Sibley needs some time away to regain his confidence after a challenging period. He will return to Warwickshire to spend time in the middle without the scrutiny and find some rhythm and confidence. Dom offers a lot of value to the Test environment and some time away should help him. However, he remains part of our plans.
“Jack Leach will return to Somerset to get some game time. I have been impressed with his patience and it’s not easy living under the COVID protocols, especially when you’re not playing. However, he has regained his confidence and spark, and it has been a considerable asset having him around. He will be on standby should we need his services, but we want what is best for him and playing cricket and getting overs into him is the way to go.
“We are hopeful that Mark Wood will be fit after injuring his right shoulder in the first Test. Our medical team will be working with him each day. We will monitor where he is at when we get to Leeds.
“We also have the services of Saqib Mahmood, who has been brilliant across all formats this summer. He is confident, highly-skilled and will not be overawed if he is to make his Test debut. His temperament and attitude are suited to the international arena.”
India are leading the series 1-0 following their win in Lord’s.
Squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood
