Mark Wood Replaces James Anderson in England's Test Squad for Second West Indies Clash

Mark Wood joins England’s Test squad for the second Test against West Indies, replacing the retired James Anderson. The match starts on July 18 at Trent Bridge. Gus Atkinson impressed on debut with remarkable figures. The squad aims to build on the first Test victory.

Pacer Mark Wood has been added to England's Test squad for the second Test against the West Indies, commencing on July 18 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made the announcement following the retirement of the legendary James Anderson after their recent win at Lord's.

The ECB stated, 'Durham fast bowler Mark Wood has been added to the England Men's Test squad for the Rothesay second Test against the West Indies starting next Thursday at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.' Anderson concluded his final match for England with commendable figures of 1/26 and 3/32.

James Anderson, who debuted at Lord's in 2003, retired with an impressive 704 Test wickets, placing him just behind spin legends Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. His farewell was marked by a commanding victory by an innings and 114 runs.

Meanwhile, young pacer Gus Atkinson made a stellar debut, capturing 12 wickets for 106 runs, including a notable seven-wicket haul in the first innings. These are the fourth-best figures by a debutant in Test history.

The squad for the second Test features Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Dillon Pennington, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, and Mark Wood.

The series schedule is as follows: First Test: England vs. West Indies, July 10-14, Lord's - England won by an innings and 114 runs. Second Test: England vs. West Indies, July 18-22, Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Third Test: England vs. West Indies, July 26-30, Edgbaston, Birmingham.

(With inputs from agencies.)