Ashes 2023: England Retain Josh Tongue and Jonny Bairstow; Ben Foakes Misses Out Again

England has named an unchanged 16-man squad for the first two Tests of the Ashes series against Australia, which begins at Edgbaston on June 16. The same group of players that faced Ireland in a one-off Test at Lord’s this week will have the opportunity to reclaim the urn from their arch-rivals.

Josh Tongue retains his place

The most notable inclusion in the squad is Josh Tongue, the Worcestershire seamer who made his Test debut against Ireland and impressed with his pace and bounce. Tongue took three wickets in the match, including two in the second innings as England bowled out Ireland for 38 to seal a 143-run win.

Tongue was initially called up as a cover for James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, who were both rested for the Ireland Test due to injury concerns. However, both Anderson and Robinson are expected to be fit for the Ashes opener and will add to England’s formidable pace attack that also features Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood.

No room for Ben Foakes

The only player who might feel hard done by is Ben Foakes, the Surrey wicketkeeper-batsman who was left out of the squad despite scoring a century on his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2018. Foakes has been overlooked for Jonny Bairstow, who returned to the side against Ireland after being rested for the Sri Lanka series.

Bairstow scored a fluent 61 in England’s second innings at Lord’s, while also keeping wickets in place of Ollie Pope, who suffered a finger injury during the match. Pope has been named as the vice-captain and reserve keeper for the Ashes squad, while Foakes will have to wait for another chance to prove his credentials.

Ben Stokes leads a strong batting line-up

England’s batting line-up will be led by Ben Stokes, who has been appointed as the captain for the Ashes series in the absence of Joe Root, who opted out of the tour due to personal reasons. Stokes scored a brilliant 103 not out in England’s second innings against Ireland, showing his class and temperament under pressure.

Stokes will be supported by a strong batting line-up that includes Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, and Ben Duckett, all of whom have scored centuries in Test cricket. Crawley and Brook are likely to open the innings, while Lawrence and Duckett will compete for the number three spot.

England will also have the services of Jack Leach, the Somerset spinner who scored a memorable 92 as a nightwatchman against Ireland. Leach will be England’s main spin option in the Ashes series, with Moeen Ali and Dom Bess both unavailable due to injuries.

England squad:

• Ben Stokes (captain)
• Ollie Pope (vice-captain & wicketkeeper)
• Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper)
• James Anderson
• Stuart Broad
• Harry Brook
• Zak Crawley
• Ben Duckett
• Dan Lawrence
• Jack Leach
• Matthew Potts
• Ollie Robinson
• Josh Tongue
• Chris Woakes
• Mark Wood

Ashes schedule:

• 1st Test: England v Australia, 16-20 June, Edgbaston, Birmingham
• 2nd Test: England v Australia, 28 June-2 July, Lord’s, London
• 3rd Test: England v Australia, 6-10 July, Headingley, Leeds
• 4th Test: England v Australia, 19-23 July, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
• 5th Test: England v Australia, 27-31 Kia Oval, London

Photos Source- Sony Network