Ashes 2019 | Craig Overton included in England squad for fourth Test

Somerset all-rounder Craig Overton has been named in the England Test squad for the first time in nearly a year after having had a decent domestic season. The 25-year-old made his debut back in 2017 and has only played three Test matches for the national team in the past.

His inclusion came at the cost of another all-rounder Chris Woakes even though he has had a fairly good run in the series both with the ball and the bat, though he has probably failed to create the impact one would have expected. He has accumulated 14 wickets in the three matches he has played and scored 112 runs in five innings, with the high score being an unbeaten 37.

Overton had received his cap in the 2017-18 Ashes series where he had managed to capture Steven Smith as his first ever wicket in international red-ball cricket. He has seven wickets and 98 runs to his name for England. 

The right-arm medium-fast bowler was called up considering James Anderson has been ruled out for the remainder of the series. Having sustained a calf injury on the first day of the opening Test, Anderson was supposed to return for the clash at Old Trafford scheduled to begin from the fourth of September. However, while playing in a domestic match to prove his fitness, he recurred the injury effectively signalling an end to his Ashes hopes.

Meanwhile, skipper Joe Root confirmed in the pre-match press conference that apart from the personnel change, the team will also be playing around with the batting lineup. Joe Denly will be asked to open the innings whereas Jason Roy who has had a dismal series so far at the top of the order will be demoted to the middle-order. The 29-year-old will get an opportunity to bat in his favoured position of number four as far as first-class cricket is concerned.