Anderson replaces Overton in England team for India Test

Veteran seamer James Anderson will replace Jamie Overton for England in the rescheduled fifth Test against India at Edgbaston, the team said on Thursday.

Anderson, England’s record wicket-taker in Test cricket, missed the third Test against New Zealand with an ankle injury.

His duel with India stalwart Virat Kohli will be an interesting sub-plot of the match beginning on Friday.

England captain Ben Stokes sympathised with Overton, whose 97 with the bat in the third Test against New Zealand was crucial to England’s turnaround in Leeds.

“That’s how sport at the top level works sometimes,” Stokes said.

“It must be very disappointing for him but he can walk away knowing he did everything he could.”

With Ben Foakes recovering from Covid-19, Kent’s Sam Billings was retained as the wicketkeeper.

“(Foakes) hasn’t really recovered from last week and doesn’t feel like he could give the best account of himself this week,” Stokes said.

“We took the decision out of his hands and said ‘get yourself better’.”

India are 2-1 up in the series which could not be completed last year because of Covid-19 cases in the India camp before the final match at Old Trafford.

England’s aggressive brand of cricket under coach Brendon McCullum shone in their 3-0 victory against the world test champions New Zealand.

That approach was unlikely to change against India.

“We’ve just beaten the best team in the world 3-0,” Stokes said.

“India are obviously a completely different opposition, different dynamic of team, but we concentrate on ourselves, we understand what we do well,” he added.

England XI: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Sam Billings (wicketkeeper), Matthew Potts, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson.