London, Aug 11: England are likely to play the second Test against India at Lord’s beginning Thursday without frontline pace bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad who are down with niggles.
Broad, who pulled up during warm-up on Tuesday, is highly doubtful as the England team management have already summoned pace bowler Saqib Mahmood as his cover.
Anderson, who became Test cricket’s third highest wicket-taker during the first Test in Nottingham, missed the training session on Wednesday morning due to thigh strain.
England are already without four of their top pace bowlers. Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are not playing this series due to mental health and injuries whereas Chris Woakes too has not recovered from injury. Olly Stone is also out of the entire season due to stress fracture.
England have been playing Broad and Anderson in alternate Test matches but decided to press them into service together in the first Test due to absence of options.
Anderson (621 wickets) and Broad (524 wickets) have together taken 1145 Test wickets and have a combined experience of 312 Test matches.
The 39-year-old Anderson had said prior to the first Test that preparations for the series weren’t up to the mark.
Also, England have called up 24-year-old pace bowler Saqib Mahmood to the squad for the second Test against India beginning on Thursday.
“Seamer @SaqMahmood25 has been added to our squad as cover for the second Test against India. Spinner Dom Bess will leave the squad and return to Yorkshire,” said a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday.
The right-armer, who had starred in the ODI series against Pakistan in July, has played seven One-day Internationals and nine T20 Internationals but is yet to play a Test. He has picked 14 wickets in ODIs and seven wickets in T20Is.
Off-spinner Bess’s struggles in getting opportunities with the Test side have continued as once again he has been sidelined.
Bess was dropped from the Test playing XI after the first Test against India in Chennai in February and replaced by Moeen Ali. (IANS)
