England name playing XI for first Test against Ireland, Josh Tongue handed debut

The England men's team has announced the playing eleven for the one-off Test against Ireland, starting on June 1st at the iconic Lord's. 25-year-old Uncapped pace bowler Josh Tongue will debut in the Test arena against the Irishmen, while Jonny Bairstow returns to national colors for the first time since last August.

Tongue was called up to the Test squad and captured headlines after dismissing the Australian great Steve Smith in a recent County Championship fixture. The right-arm speedster has promising first-class numbers, bagging 162 wickets in 47 matches at 26.04 apiece with seven five-wicket hauls.

Tongue is also likely to share the new ball with Stuart Broad in the absence of James Anderson and Ollie Robinson - both of whom are recovering from their injuries. Matthew Potts is the third seamer in the line-up, while left-arm spinner Jack Leach is the only spin-bowling option.

Meanwhile, Bairstow will be gearing up for his first international game since August after losing eight months of his career due to a leg injury. He scored a quick-fire 97 for Yorkshire second XI on return from his injury. The 33-year-old will also take the gloves against Ireland, with Ben Foakes dropped from the side.

England's playing XI against Ireland:

Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, Jack Leach.

It will only be the second Test between England and Ireland, with the former winning the first by 143 runs in 2019 at Lord's.

Published on: Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 10:39 AM IST