Overview
- Josh Tongue suffered an injury during the second unofficial Test at Northampton, leaving his participation in the June 20 opener at Headingley in doubt.
- England Cricket Board have drafted 19-year-old Eddie Jack as direct cover for Tongue despite his limited first-class experience.
- The seam attack is already without Mark Wood, Jofra Archer (thumb) and Gus Atkinson (hamstring), placing extra workload on veteran Chris Woakes.
- Captain Ben Stokes enters the series with a recent hamstring surgery, which may limit his bowling contributions.
- England’s stretched bowling unit now must face India in a five-match series that kicks off their World Test Championship campaign.