In the upcoming second Test against Sri Lanka, starting August 29 in London, Olly Stone takes the place of Mark Wood in England's playing XI. This marks the only change for the hosts, who secured victory in the series opener held in Manchester on Saturday.
Due to Mark Wood's injury, England has opted for Olly Stone as their sole replacement. Ollie Pope will captain the team in the absence of regular captain Ben Stokes for this match at the historic Lord's.
Stone, who plays for Nottinghamshire, returns to the Test squad for the first time since 2021. Despite facing injury challenges, he has participated in three Tests since his debut in 2019, claiming 10 wickets. The 30-year-old fast bowler is expected to provide pace comparable to that of Wood, enhancing the formidable bowling lineup.
"Hopefully, I can go out there and try to reach his speed. He is certainly among the fastest players in the world, so matching it might be a challenge, but I'll give it my best shot," Stone remarked after being included in the XI.
The England lineup will feature Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, and Shoaib Bashir.
In the first Test, Wood bowled 18.2 overs over two innings but sustained an injury during Sri Lanka's second innings on Friday, preventing him from returning to the field. Scans later confirmed a muscle strain in his right thigh, ruling him out for the remainder of the series.
Stone was selected over the 20-year-old left-arm pacer Josh Hull, who was added to the England squad prior to the second Test. Hull, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall, had impressive performances during the warm-up match against Sri Lanka, taking five wickets across two innings while representing the England Lions.
England aims to clinch the series at Lord's, having achieved a five-wicket win in the first Test to lead the three-match series 1-0.