Toss England chose to bat v Ireland
Jason Roy will have an early opportunity to show his value as Test opener after England won the toss and chose to bat on the first morning of the Test against Ireland.
Roy and Rory Burns are England’s 16th opening pairing since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012 and their eighth in the last three years. On a surprisingly green surface, England captain Joe Root reasoned if his side could negotiate a tricky first session the pitch should flatten out and offer the best batting conditions of the game. And with England including two spinners – Moeen Ali and Jack Leach, who is playing his first home Test – Root hoped the pitch would dry out and offer them assistance later in the match.
“There is a tinge of green and it may seam around early on,” Root said, “but it looks dry underneath and it gives our spinners an opportunity to come into the game later.”
Both sides field debutants. For England, Roy becomes the latest opener to attempt to fill the shoes of Alastair Cook – Cook presented him with his Test cap shortly before the toss – while Olly Stone wins an opportunity as a fast bowler. Ashley Giles, his former director of cricket at Warwickshire and now managing director of the England men’s sides, presented him with his cap.
Ireland, meanwhile, have included seam-bowling allrounder Mark Adair, who was on the Warwickshire staff for a couple of years.
Boyd Rankin, meanwhile, becomes the first ex-England Test player to appear for the opposition since 1946 when Nawab of Pataudi appeared for India against Wally Hammond’s England. Rankin played one Test for England at the end of their unhappy 2013-14 Ashes tour.
But it is Tim Murtagh who may most threaten Roy and Burns in the first hour or two. Murtagh is 38 in little more than a week, but recently claimed his 800th first-class wicket and, as a Middlesex player, knows this ground as well as anyone. Armed with a Dukes ball, he will provide a stern test of Roy’s technique and temperament.
“I think there will be a bit there in the first hour so we’re going to have to make the most of that,” William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, said.
There was one other encouraging sight for England supporters filing into Lord’s. James Anderson, who was ruled out of this match due to a calf injury sustained at the start of July, was able to bowl on a strip to the side of the square boosting hopes that he will be fit to take his place in England’s side for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston on August 1.
England: 1 Jason Roy, 2 Rory Burns, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Olly Stone
Ireland: 1 Will Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Andy Balbirnie, 4 James McCollum, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Gary Wilson (wk), 7 Mark Adair, 8 Stuart Thompson, 9 Andy McBrine, 10 Boyd Rankin, 11 Tim Murtagh
Source: ESPN Crickinfo