LSG pacer set to replace retired James Anderson in England team for second West Indies Test

In a recent development coming in, the England team have recalled a talismanic Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer for the upcoming second Test against West Indies, slated to start from July 18. 

The Three Lions speedster will be replacing legendary pacer James Anderson in the playing XI after he played his last match in the series opener at Lord's, which England won. 

Mark Wood, England's quickest bowler, missed the Lord's Test as he had just returned from England's T20 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean, where he took three wickets in five matches.

He is expected to be slotted directly into the Playing XI, having featured in three of England's five Tests in India earlier this year.

Wood's selection means that youngsters Matthew Potts and Dillon Pennington will need to wait for their chances. Both Potts and Pennington were initially included in England's squad for the first two Tests, as announced by the selectors last month.

LSG pacer Mark Wood to replace James Anderson in second Test against West Indies

Notably, this marks the first time since 2012 that England will play a home Test without either Anderson or Stuart Broad in the lineup, and only the second time since 2007. Anderson, now serving as England's bowling coach, spent Tuesday at Trent Bridge following his farewell appearance at Lord's.

Wood's selection comes on the heels of Gus Atkinson's impressive performance, as the fellow 90mph bowler took match figures of 12 for 106, the fourth-best debut in Test history, in last week's victory at Lord's.

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England XI for second West Indies Test: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Shoaib Bashir

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