England cricketer Moeen Ali will not be part of the team playing against India in the third Test in Ahmedabad, starting February 24. The selectors have decided to send the all-rounder back home as part of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) rotation policy to manage the workload of players.
England are bringing in Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood back for the third Test against India.
“Moeen Ali will return to England for a break while Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood join the squad having been rested for the first two Tests,” the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement as they named their squad for the third Test.
The pink ball or day/night Test will be played at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad from February 24.
The visitors lost the second Test in Chennai on Tuesday by 317 runs as India levelled the four-match Test series 1-1.
Bairstow was not included in the first two Tests as he was rested due to the rotation policy following England’s tour of Sri Lanka, in which the wicket-keeper batsman had scores of 47, 35 not out, 28 and 29.
England squad for Third Test: Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
(With PTI inputs)
