As of now, the 19-year-old pacer has just played in two first-class games and also featured in the side that ended in a draw against India A on Monday.
We are just days away from the first Test between India and England, and the hosts are still struggling with the availability of their main pace bowler. The English side has already sustained a major blow as Jofra Archer will miss the first Test. Young pacer Josh Tongue, while playing for England Lions against India in the second unofficial Test, got injured, and the extent of the injury is yet to be clarified.
Ace seamer Mark Wood has already been ruled out, and Gus Atkinson is still recuperating from a hamstring injury that he sustained during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe 14 days ago. The England cricket management has asked Eddie Jack to join the squad as backup.
The Hampshire-based seamer came into the limelight when he scalped the wicket of India batter KL Rahul, who made a century in the first innings, during their drawn second unofficial Test in Northampton. The 6-foot-4 pacer is yet to make his debut in the County Championship for Hampshire, having taken part in two first-class matches — both against India A — and also played for England U-19s earlier this year in South Africa. The lanky pacer has picked up five wickets in a warm-up game against Zimbabwe, while playing for a combined counties XI. The teenager was asked to join the England squad as they are depleted with less than 10 days to go for the opening Test.
Ahead of the five-match Test series that is commencing from June 20, England’s bowling line-up only has Chris Woakes. Veteran seamer has played in 57 Test matches and is the most capped bowler in the squad. Following his ankle injury in the SA20, Woakes made a comeback in the month of May and played in one county game before taking part in the unofficial Test against India.
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Archer is likely to play in the second Test match against India after a long gap of four years, and even if he is fully fit, he is unlikely to take part in all four matches. Apart from Chris Woakes, the English side is heavily dependent on Sam Cook, who featured in only one Test match but has tons of first-class experience. In a total of 90 first-class matches, Sam has scalped 322 wickets at an average of 20.16 and is likely to share the new ball with Woakes at Headingley in the first Test against India. The likes of Jamie Overton and Brydon Carse are also there as all-rounders.
Keeping in mind their struggles with the bowling line-up, fans will be keen to witness how English skipper Ben Stokes manages his own bowling. The last time Stokes bowled heavy overs came against Zimbabwe at Nottingham, where he delivered 11 overs. During July 2023 to February 2024, Stokes has not bowled much in Test matches before bowling a spell of five overs against India at Dharamsala last year.
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