As the Ashes series between England and Australia begins on June 16th at Edgbaston, England has announced its playing XI for the first Test. The team will be led by Joe Root, who has been in fine form in recent matches.
The opening pair for England will be Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, with both players expected to provide a solid start to the innings. Duckett has been in good form in domestic cricket, while Crawley has impressed in his brief international career so far.
The middle order will consist of Root, who will bat at number three, followed by Jonny Bairstow, Ollie Pope, and Dan Lawrence. This is a relatively inexperienced middle order, but one that has shown promise in recent times.
In the bowling department, England will rely heavily on the pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who have been the backbone of the team’s bowling attack for many years. They will be supported by the likes of Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, and Jack Leach.
England will be looking to start the series on a positive note, and will be hoping that their playing XI can deliver the goods. The Ashes is one of the most fiercely contested series in cricket, and England will be keen to regain the urn after losing it to Australia in 2019.