England will field a markedly different XI at The Oval on Wednesday, handing Test debuts to Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker while recalling Jofra Archer and Matt Fisher. Four alterations are confirmed, and a fifth remains possible as England look to build on last week’s 115-run win at Lord’s.
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been stood down for breaching team protocols during the post-match celebrations. Joe Root, fresh from a measured 63 in the first Test, steps up as interim captain. Ollie Robinson’s sore knee keeps him out, while Shoaib Bashir drops out after going unused on a seamer-friendly surface at Lord’s.
The late-in-the-day question surrounds the gloves. Jamie Smith is on paternity watch, so Somerset keeper-batter James Rew is travelling as cover and could yet become a third debutant of the week.
Key facts first
• Cox, 25, has vaulted into the middle order on the back of a double-hundred for Essex.
• Baker, 23, brings raw pace after only a dozen first-class games for Hampshire.
• Archer returns to Test cricket for the first time since early 2025.
• Fisher replaces Robinson as the tall, hit-the-seam operator.
Why Cox at No. 7?
The selection is unusual: Cox has rarely batted below No. 5 for Essex. Yet head coach Brendon McCullum offered a succinct explanation on Monday. “James Rew was our back-up batter in the squad, but that was very much to cover the top-six role,” he said. “Jordan Cox, he obviously was over at the IPL. We wanted to see him come back and see what he could do before we thrust him into that role for the first time.
“He scored a double-hundred, which is a pretty compelling case. We think that his power and his rounded game is quite a nice fit at No. 7. We still very much see James Rew as an exciting option for us – and he may even get the nod this week, too – but Coxy’s a fine player. He’s been on our radar for a long time across all formats.”
Cox, who felt he had “been on the cusp for three years”, was pencilled in to debut on the 2024-25 trip to New Zealand before a freak thumb injury in the nets left him sidelined. A stint on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru bench this spring meant no Championship cricket until late May, but he has made up for lost time quickly.
Baker’s pace earns its reward
Baker’s inclusion is a statement of faith in out-and-out speed. He struggled on ODI and T20I debuts last winter, but McCullum believes the right-arm quick is ready. “I genuinely believe that if Sonny’s able to get some early success – if he’s able to get an early wicket in a spell or in his second spell – I think the crowd’s going to get behind him,” McCullum said. “I think the country is going to be behind him, because he plays games a little bit like Mark Wood.
“He’s got good air-speed, he swings the ball, he’s got great skills. But he charges in and he’s got wild celebrations, and you can just see that cricket is what he wants to do. I’m excited to see how he goes and he is very well-planned and very well-prepared, which fits in with what we’re trying to achieve now in this team.”
Selection balance
With no Stokes, England lose a seam-bowling all-rounder and an on-field talisman. Archer’s return partly offsets that, offering pace and hostility, while Fisher’s control should complement James Anderson. The batting, meanwhile, stretches to No. 8 if Jamie Smith plays; if Rew is required, his tidy glove-work may calm Root’s field placements, but England sacrifice some lower-order power.
Concerns and opportunities
Protocol breaches are an unwelcome distraction, yet England have framed the changes as a chance to widen the talent pool ahead of next winter’s tour of Pakistan. Cox’s adaptability and Baker’s pace have long been earmarked; both now have the stage.
Projected England XI
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk) / James Rew (wk), Jordan Cox, Jofra Archer, Matt Fisher, James Anderson, Sonny Baker.
Root’s men require only a draw to clinch the two-match series, yet with new faces keen to cement places and Archer eyeing a smooth comeback, caution is unlikely to be the default setting. A lively Oval surface, some forecast cloud cover and a fresh-looking attack promise an engaging four or five days – protocols allowing.
