London: England has announced its playing XI for the final Test of the Ashes series, scheduled to begin on Thursday. Despite the series already being decided in favour of Australia, England is determined to salvage a draw and deny Australia a historic away series win.
Pace bowler James Anderson has retained his place in the squad despite a relatively quiet performance in the series, having taken only four wickets in three Tests. His experience and skill will be crucial for England’s bowling attack in the final match.
Meanwhile, bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes has overcome a quad problem sustained in the fourth Test and will feature in the final match. His inclusion will add depth to England’s batting and bowling departments.
Fast bowler Mark Wood will play three consecutive Tests in a series for the first time since the last Ashes series down under in 2021–22. His pace and aggression will add firepower to England’s bowling arsenal.
Stuart Broad, the leading wicket-taker in the series, is set to play in all five Tests, making him the only England bowler to achieve this feat. His consistent performances have been a bright spot for the team throughout the series.
However, there is disappointment for pace bowler Ollie Robinson, who has been left out of the playing XI. Despite his impressive performance in the first three Tests, he struggled with a back spasm at Headingley, leading to his exclusion from the final match.
England Playing XI: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jonathan Bairstow (WK), Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
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