IND vs ENG 2021: England add 2 players to their squad for 5th Test after defeat in London
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have announced a 16-man squad for the final match of the ICC World Test Championship series against India. Wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler and left-arm spinner Jack Leach are the two new players added to the squad.
Buttler was part of the England squad for the first three Tests against India. However, he was unavailable for the fourth Test due to personal reasons. Sam Billings, who was drafted into the squad for the fourth Test as a backup wicket-keeper, has been released.
Meanwhile, England have hinted that they may play a specialist spinner in Manchester as they have added Leach to the team. Here is England's full 16-man squad for the fifth Test.
England Squad for 5th Test against India: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Mark Wood.
England are currently trailing India by 1-2 in the five-match Test series. Even if they win the final Test in Manchester, the hosts will not be able to win the series.
England's Jos Buttler has performed well in Test matches at Old Trafford
England's wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler has a decent Test record in Manchester. He has played eight innings on this ground, scoring 365 runs, including a 70-run knock against India in 2014.
Meanwhile, Jack Leach has only played a solitary Test at Old Trafford before, where he took three wickets against Australia. It will be interesting to see if both Buttler and Leach get a place in the playing XI.
The fifth Test of the England vs India series will begin this Friday at Old Trafford. The start time is 11:00 AM Local Time (3:30 PM IST).