Pace bowler Atkinson to make England Test debut

Pace bowler Gus Atkinson will make his Test debut successful England's bid opener against West Indies astatine Lord's connected Wednesday.

The 26-year-old joins Chris Woakes and nan retiring James Anderson arsenic nan master seamers.

Atkinson's Surrey team-mate Jamie Smith, 23, will besides make his Test front down nan stumps, a move confirmed erstwhile he was named successful nan squad up of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.

Atkinson, who has played 9 one-day internationals and 3 T20s, was portion of nan England squad for nan Test circuit of India earlier this year, but did not feature.

Smith usually plays for Surrey arsenic a master batter pinch Foakes taking nan gloves, though he was England's keeper for nan 2 one-day internationals he played against Ireland past year.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, picked successful nan England squad up of his Somerset team-mate Jack Leach, plays his first location Test aft winning 3 caps connected nan circuit of India.

Overall, England person a caller look for nan first Test successful nan three-match bid against nan Windies.

There are 4 changes from nan broadside heavy beaten successful nan last Test of nan 4-1 bid conclusion successful India and 4 from nan past location Test against Australia astatine The Oval past July.

Leach, Foakes and Bairstow person been near out, while 41-year-old Anderson has been told this will beryllium nan past world lucifer of a record-breaking profession that has seen him go England's all-time starring Test wicket-taker.

Atkinson, tin of bowling astatine precocious pace, has taken 59 wickets successful 19 first-class matches. He gets nan motion up of Matthew Potts and nan uncapped Dillon Pennington, who are nan different seamers successful nan squad.

Smith has agelong been touted arsenic a early England prospect. An charismatic stroke-maker, he averages much than 40 successful first-class cricket and successful excess of 56 successful nan County Championship this season.

Along pinch nan debutants, batter Harry Brook returns astatine number 5 aft missing nan circuit of India to beryllium pinch his sick grandmother, who passed distant successful March.

Woakes besides plays his first Test since past summertime aft being overlooked for nan circuit of India contempt being named subordinate of nan bid successful nan Ashes.

Perhaps astir importantly for England, skipper Ben Stokes looks group to beryllium capable to play a afloat portion arsenic a bowler aft being plagued by a semipermanent left-knee injury.

The all-rounder had room successful November and tentatively returned to bowling successful India earlier accelerating his rehab successful 3 County Championship matches for Durham.

Stokes bowled a important spell successful nan nets astatine Lord's connected Tuesday, pinch England capable to believe extracurricular contempt nan mixed upwind successful London.