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England v India 2018: Hosts keep batting line-up for final Test

Last updated on .From the section Cricketcomments239

Keaton Jennings and Alastair Cook
Keaton Jennings (left) and Alastair Cook have only scored a total of 239 runs between them in the four Test matches against India in this series
England v India
Venue: Kia Oval. Date: Friday, 7 September to Tuesday, 11 September.
Coverage: Live Test Match Special radio and text commentary on every match on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra & BBC Sport website, plus desktop, tablets, mobiles and app.

England have kept faith with the same batsmen for the final Test against India, in what will be Alastair Cook's last international game.

Cook, 33, who holds the record for the most England Test runs with 12,254, announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday.

James Vince, drafted into the last squad as back-up for Jonny Bairstow, has been released back to Hampshire.

England have already won the series and lead 3-1 after their Southampton win.

Opening batsman Keaton Jennings remains in the squad despite only scoring 130 runs in the series, at an average of 18.57, while Cook has only scored 109 runs, averaging 15.57.

Ollie Pope will play for Surrey in the first two days of their County Championship Division One match against Essex at Chelmsford and will join the rest of the Test squad on Thursday morning.

England will have to decide who bats at number three after captain Joe Root batted there in the first innings of the fourth Test, before Moeen Ali took that position for the second innings.

It also remains to be seen who will keep wicket, with Jos Buttler having stepped into the role in Southampton because Jonny Bairstow was struggling with a fractured finger.

Chris Woakes is included after missing the last Test with tightness in his quad.

England won the opening Test by 31 runs at Edgbaston and then moved into a 2-0 lead with a victory by an innings and 159 runs at Lord's.

India took the third Test by a 203-run margin before England clinched the series with a 60-run win at Southampton.

England squad

Joe Root (Yorkshire, captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Alastair Cook (Essex), Sam Curran (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

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239 comments

  • Comment posted by RoundPeach82, at 14:46 4 Sep 2018

    What on earth does Rory Burns need to do to get a call up?? It's almost embarrassing for the selectors to keep ignoring players consistently in good form

  • Comment posted by User0424466976, at 14:47 4 Sep 2018

    Would have been the perfect opportunity to give Burns a try. I see nothing to be gained by picking Jennings who plainly isn't good enough.

  • Comment posted by MelT, at 14:47 4 Sep 2018

    The Selectors must have an idea of who will replace Cook, but to throw them in at the deep end on dust bowl in Sri Lanka seems a bit unfair. I would have given them this last test, even if they batted at 3 as a start in familiar conditions.

  • Comment posted by RichardG, at 14:50 4 Sep 2018

    Are Bairstow, Stokes and Woakes now fully fit ? Playing the walking wounded is a mistake, as Bairstow demonstrated at Southampton.

  • Comment posted by Alan, at 15:31 4 Sep 2018

    I just hope that the "batting coach" is kept well away from Sam Curran....

  • Comment posted by glowkeeper, at 14:51 4 Sep 2018

    Huge missed free opportunity to replace some of that failing top order.

  • Comment posted by Brod , at 14:51 4 Sep 2018

    It’s almost unfathomable that some of the most consistent 1st Class players over the last few years with batting averages over 40 are so consistently overlooked, even those playing for the best performing counties! It must be down to nepotism that Hildreth, Burns, Mitchell, Clarke and Browne are inexplicably avoided. We now only have Root with a 40+ avg. can’t see us scoring more than 300 anymore.

  • Comment posted by TheLastKingOfEngland, at 14:49 4 Sep 2018

    @3 Mark Carney is Canadian.....

  • Comment posted by Rosbif, at 14:52 4 Sep 2018

    Burns is currently 79 not out.

    Just saying.

  • Comment posted by hmmurdoch, at 14:50 4 Sep 2018

    Note to the selectors: DO NOT DROP SAM CURRAN.

    I don't care if Woakes is fit, Curran has earned his place. He's also our most consistent batsman.

    Curran for No.3!

  • Comment posted by John Hetherington, at 15:26 4 Sep 2018

    How Rory Burns cannot get a call-up is a complete mystery.

    And with a first class batting average of under 35, there's no mystery as to why Keaton Jennings can't perform at the highest level. He's just not very good.

  • Comment posted by FrancesFarmer1, at 20:27 4 Sep 2018

    Here are the guarantees already from this selection:

    1) England will be four wickets down before 100 runs on the board.
    2) The two England openers will barely spend one hour at the crease each.
    3) India will also collapse as the English bowlers again come to the rescue with bat and ball.
    4) The Test match will not last four days with EWCB losing a fortune.
    5) No plan in place for the winter

  • Comment posted by pete, at 16:42 4 Sep 2018

    Seems the majority of people on here want so see Burns replace Jennings...........have to say I agree

  • Comment posted by moosey69, at 15:06 4 Sep 2018

    I must agree with the other people on this forum, why keep a player such as Jennings who has done absolutely nothing in opening batsman when there are other more inform batsmen such as Vince who must be wondering what he has to do to get the nod, the selectors have got to have a good look at themselves and go for a rethink on how to choose a winning opening top five order.

  • Comment posted by Darren Cook, at 15:47 4 Sep 2018

    Burns had to play but of course commonsense isn't big with the English selectors!

  • Comment posted by Classic94, at 19:02 4 Sep 2018

    Not really sure what more Burns has to do? Perfect opportunity to give him a debut ahead of the walking wicket Jennings.

  • Comment posted by whatsthemata, at 14:54 4 Sep 2018

    Cook has done too much for England to drop him now. But I cant see Jennings in for the long term - could've been a good opportunity to debut Burns.

    I know its unlikely, but Cook is only 150 off becoming 5th highest of all time. Maybe having the pressure off and retirement sorted could be the catalyst for a big innings. Go get 'em Cookie!

  • Comment posted by Bill T, at 15:21 4 Sep 2018

    Surely with the series won they could have blooded Rory Burns? It's his home ground! What does the lad need to do to get a run? Maybe he's not South African enough?

  • Comment posted by Stuart, at 15:00 4 Sep 2018

    Agree that Cook should be retained as someone who has given so much deserves a send off. Given Rory Burns form however I would have included him in place of Jennings.

  • Comment posted by BeeBeeSee, at 16:02 4 Sep 2018

    It would've been nice to give fringe players a chance e.g Porter. We got away with playing injured players last time. If Bairstow and Stokes aren't fit, they should be rested. I understand giving Cook a farewell test. His form may have deserted him, but you can't doubt - over the years - he's been a great servant and ambassador for Eng. Don't understand retaining Jennings. Malan had fewer chances

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