Ashes 2021-22: England name playing XI for Sydney Test, Stuart Broad returns

Fast bowler Ollie Robinson has been ruled out as England named their playing XI for the fourth Ashes Test, starting Wednesday, January 5 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Robinson, along with all-rounder Chris Woakes, has been nursing shoulder niggles and assistant coach Graham Thorpe didn’t want to include them in the team for the SCG Test.

Robinson is currently England’s leading wicket-taker in the series, having taken nine wickets from three matches at an average of 26. Stuart Broad, in the meantime, has replaced Robinson in the eleven for the penultimate game of the five-match series.

“We felt like it was too much of a risk to go in with a couple of lads who are carrying niggles. So therefore, it was right to bring Stuart back in,” Thorpe was quoted as saying. James Anderson, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes are the other pace bowling options with Jack Leach being the lone spinner in the lineup.

Broad overlooked for Brisbane and Melbourne Tests

Broad was a part of the Day Night Adelaide Test, but didn’t play in the Brisbane and Melbourne Tests. The 35-year-old remains England’s all-time second-highest Test wicket-taker with 526 scalps from 150 matches since his debut back in 2007.

The Nottingham-born Broad, earlier, expressed his agony after not getting chances in the first and third Test matches in the series.

“As a wobble-seam bowler, I feel as though I missed out on two of the best wobble-seam pitches in Australia. Only playing once has made this a very disappointing trip, one that has not met my personal expectations,” Broad said.

“The biggest frustration is losing the Ashes, being 3-0 down and feeling like I’ve not really done anything. Not being able, as an experienced player, to influence a series while it’s live is tough,” he stated.

“I would argue that I won’t get a better chance to take wickets than at Brisbane and Melbourne,” Broad.

England are currently trailing the five-match series 0-3, having lost all the three matches in a pretty comprehensive manner. They will be going into the game after losing the Boxing Day Test by an innings and 14 runs.

England XI

Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson