England unchanged for final Test
Monday, 6 August 2007
England have named an unchanged squad for the third and final Test against India starting Thursday at The Oval, reports BBC.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff and pace bowler Matthew Hoggard are not ready to return after ankle and back problems.
Leicestershire paceman Stuart Broad, still to make his Test debut, is in the 12, but could miss out again even though England lost at Trent Bridge.
They need a win to avoid a first home series defeat since 2001 and a first home reverse against India in 21 years.
Graveney says they can avoid that if they can build on encouraging displays from the bowlers at Trent Bridge, where Ryan Sidebottom and Chris Tremlett produced fine spells.
"We don't dismiss the fact that we're 1-0 down in the series. India fully deserved to win the Test but there were plenty of good points to come out from it, particularly the performance of our bowlers," chairman of selectors David Graveney told BBC Five Live.
"The bottom line is we lost the Test because we didn't get probably 50/60 more runs in the first innings and certainly another 50/60 more in the second innings.
"If India had to chase 180-200 that might have been a different game. There is no doubt if we are to level the series the first innings is going to be crucial."
England squad (from): Vaughan (capt), Strauss, Cook, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior (wkt), Tremlett, Sidebottom, Panesar, Anderson, Broad.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff and pace bowler Matthew Hoggard are not ready to return after ankle and back problems.
Leicestershire paceman Stuart Broad, still to make his Test debut, is in the 12, but could miss out again even though England lost at Trent Bridge.
They need a win to avoid a first home series defeat since 2001 and a first home reverse against India in 21 years.
Graveney says they can avoid that if they can build on encouraging displays from the bowlers at Trent Bridge, where Ryan Sidebottom and Chris Tremlett produced fine spells.
"We don't dismiss the fact that we're 1-0 down in the series. India fully deserved to win the Test but there were plenty of good points to come out from it, particularly the performance of our bowlers," chairman of selectors David Graveney told BBC Five Live.
"The bottom line is we lost the Test because we didn't get probably 50/60 more runs in the first innings and certainly another 50/60 more in the second innings.
"If India had to chase 180-200 that might have been a different game. There is no doubt if we are to level the series the first innings is going to be crucial."
England squad (from): Vaughan (capt), Strauss, Cook, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior (wkt), Tremlett, Sidebottom, Panesar, Anderson, Broad.