Josh Hull to Replace Injured Mark Wood in England’s Test Squad Against Sri Lanka

Uncapped seamer Josh Hull will step in for Mark Wood in England’s upcoming Test matches against Sri Lanka after Wood sustained a thigh injury. England leads the series 1-0 following impressive performances from Joe Root and Jamie Smith. Wood’s injury occurred during the second innings of the Manchester Test.

Uncapped English fast bowler Josh Hull has been drafted in to replace Mark Wood for the remaining two Test matches against Sri Lanka. This decision comes after Wood suffered a right thigh muscle strain while bowling in the second innings of the Manchester Test, according to the ICC. Hull, a left-arm seamer, recently featured in the England Lions fixture against Sri Lanka, capturing five wickets at an average of 14.8.

Wood made an impressive start in his spell, dismissing Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne with his first ball. However, he pulled out of his run-up in the 56th over and exited the field, not returning to bowl again in a game England eventually won by five wickets. Sri Lanka, having won the toss, opted to bat first but struggled at 113/7. Contributions from skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (74) and Milan Rathnayake (72) pushed SL to 236. Chris Woakes (3/32) and Shoaib Bashir (3/55) were the top bowlers for England.

England, despite an initial hiccup at 67/3, saw solid performances from Joe Root (42), Harry Brook (56), and Jamie Smith (111), attaining a 122-run lead with a total of 358. Sri Lankan bowlers Ashitha Fernando (4/103) and Prabhat Jayasuriya (3/85) put up notable performances. In their second innings, Sri Lanka found themselves in trouble at 95/4. However, veteran batters Angelo Matthews (65) and Dinesh Chandimal (79) steadied the ship, leading to a 78-run partnership. Kamindu Mendis continued his fine form, scoring his second Test century (113), propelling Sri Lanka to a respectable 326, setting a lead of 204 runs. Woakes and Matthew Potts (3/47) were crucial in England's bowling attack.

Chasing a target, England found themselves at 70/3 but Joe Root's composed half-century (62*) and contributions from Brook (32) and Smith (39*) guided England to a five-wicket victory. England now leads the three-match series 1-0. The squad for the remaining matches includes Ollie Pope (C), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, and Chris Woakes.

(With inputs from agencies.)