IND vs ENG 2021: Dawid Malan added to England squad ahead of third Test
England batsman Dawid Malan has been recalled to the England Test set-up, marking his return to the format after three years. The Yorkshire batsman last made a Test appearance in 2018 against India at Edgbaston.
England have named a 15-man squad for the third Test against India, which will begin on August 25 at Headingley. After suffering a disappointing loss in the second Test at Lord's, the hosts have made a few changes to their team. Lancashire pacer Saqib Mahmood has also been added to the squad along with Malan.
Here's what England coach Chris Silverwood had to say about the inclusion of the 33-year old:
"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."
Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley left out of the England squad
England opener Dominic Sibley has been under the pump for quite a bit now and it seems like the England team management has finally decided to pull the plug on him. Along with Sibley, Zak Crawley has also been left out of the squad. The two batsmen are set to return to Warwickshire and Kent respectively.
England coach Chris Silverwood shed some light on the exclusion of his two batsmen, maintaining that the two are still part of England's plans ahead of the upcoming Ashes. Silverwood said:
"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."
Silverwood added:
"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."
England spinner Jack Leach is also set to return to the team. Meanwhile, Sibley's exclusion could mean that Haseeb Hameed will open the batting alongside Rory Burns.
While Mark Wood will be monitored ahead of the third Test after suffering a shoulder injury, Saqib Mahmood's addition to the squad could be crucial, with Stuart Broad already ruled out of the series. Mahmood has been impressive for Lancashire and England in recent times.
England Men's Third Test 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