Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker are set to make their England Test debuts against New Zealand at The Kia Oval after being named in Joe Root’s XI for the second Rothesay Test.
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the side for the match starting on Wednesday, with Cox and Baker included as part of four changes from the team that beat New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord’s. Matt Fisher returns for his first Test since the 2022 Caribbean tour, while Jofra Archer is also named in a four-man pace attack, according to the ECB’s official team announcement.
England reshape attack and batting order for Oval Test
Root captains a side featuring Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Cox and Jamie Smith, with Smith keeping wicket. The bowling group is notably aggressive: Archer, Baker, Fisher and Josh Tongue give England pace variety, while Bethell offers a spin option.
For Cox, the selection is a long-awaited red-ball opening after previous England squad involvement. For Baker, it is a rapid elevation into Test cricket and a clear sign England are willing to refresh their seam resources while Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson remain unavailable.
The call matters because England already lead the series 1-0, but the Oval XI suggests they are not simply protecting that advantage. They have picked upside, pace and two debutants in a fixture that could decide the series before the final Test at Trent Bridge.
