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    England's Lineup Shifts Ahead of Sri Lanka Series
England's Lineup Shifts Ahead of Sri Lanka Series
Cricket Team. Source: reddit.com

England's Lineup Shifts Ahead of Sri Lanka Series

Dan Lawrence is set to take the opening batting position for England in their upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, following Zak Crawley's withdrawal due to a fractured finger. In response, Jordan Cox, yet to debut in any format, has been included in the squad as an additional batter, while Olly Stone steps in for Dillon Pennington, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury incurred during the Hundred.

Crawley sustained the injury to his right hand's little finger during England's dominant ten-wicket victory over the West Indies at Edgbaston last week. After dropping a catch in the slips, it was later confirmed he had a fracture, which has now ruled him out of both the Hundred and the Sri Lanka series. He is aiming to return for England's Test tour to Pakistan in October.

In the match against the West Indies, Ben Stokes temporarily partnered with Ben Duckett at the top of the order, delivering a record-breaking half-century in just 24 balls. However, Lawrence will now step into this role against Sri Lanka. Although he has batted in various positions from No. 3 to No. 7 across his 11 Tests, Lawrence is not a specialist opener, having assumed the position only seven times in his first-class career, including two instances as a pinch-hitter. Lawrence has served as England's reserve batter over the past year but hasn't played a Test since Joe Root's final series as captain against the West Indies in early 2022. England's choice to elevate a middle-order batter rather than selecting a specialist opener highlights their preference for player attributes over county-level performance.

Jordan Cox, 23, joins the squad as the extra batter for the series. His inclusion follows a standout season, his first after transferring from Kent to Essex. He has scored three Championship centuries for Essex, amassing 763 runs at an average of 69.36, and recently returned to competitive play with the Oval Invincibles following appendix surgery. Cox is expected to serve as the backup wicketkeeper during the Pakistan tour.

Cox was on a stroll in Battersea Park with his girlfriend when he received the news of his selection, having initially missed a call from Brendon McCullum. He shared with Sky Sports, "I received a text saying, 'Call me back, it's Baz.' I called back quickly, just in case he asked someone else to join the squad... My WhatsApp profile picture shows me putting, and he asked, 'Did you make that putt?'"

Cox confessed that he hadn't considered the possibility of a Test call-up, having been part of a T20I squad two years earlier. "I was more focused on the white-ball game," he said. "With so many talented players out there, I thought I wouldn't make it to this level yet, if ever, so getting this call was incredible."

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