NEW DELHI: England have retained Ollie Pope as their wicket-keeper for the second Test against New Zealand, maintaining an unchanged lineup after Jordan Cox's thumb injury during practice.
Following Cox's injury setback, Pope will continue his wicket-keeping responsibilities despite Ollie Robinson's arrival in New Zealand as a potential replacement. The team management has shown confidence in Pope's abilities behind the stumps.
Pope, who normally plays as a middle-order batter, previously kept wickets when Ben Foakes was unwell in 2022. His performance in the first Test included two catches and a valuable 77-run contribution with the bat in the first innings.
Having secured an eight-wicket victory in the opening Test, England will aim to clinch their first away Test series triumph in two years when they face New Zealand in Wellington on Friday.
England playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope (wicket-keeper), Ben Stokes (captain), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir.
