England and Ireland will face off in a one-off Test in London starting on Wednesday. The game is a preparation for the home side for the much-awaited Ashes series, which is less than 10 days away. England will come in the match undoubtedly as the favourite side as they are not only an experienced unit but they are also a team in-form as they are coming on the back of winning the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in a dramatic manner against New Zealand.
However, the home side's form in the five day format isn't that great of late and therefore, they would not expect an easy outing especially at the venue where things are relatively tough for them. As far as the team combination is concerned, opener Jason Roy is set to debut in the Test format whereas veteran fast-bowler James Anderson is rested for the match with an injury and in his absence, Stuart Broad will lead the bowling attack.
On the other hand, for Ireland, the game is another stepping stone in their relatively new story in the five-day format as they will be looking to put a serious test in front of the host team.
Lord's will be the venue for the contest which will be hosting its 138th Test on Wednesday. The ground is considered as having one of the best batting tracks in the country, however, there is a fair bit of grass left on the deck for this match. Average score in
England and Ireland will face off in a one-off Test in London starting on Wednesday. The game is a preparation for the home side for the much-awaited Ashes series, which is less than 10 days away. England will come in the match undoubtedly as the favourite side as they are not only an experienced unit but they are also a team in-form as they are coming on the back of winning the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in a dramatic manner against New Zealand.
However, the home side's form in the five day format isn't that great of late and therefore, they would not expect an easy outing especially at the venue where things are relatively tough for them. As far as the team combination is concerned, opener Jason Roy is set to debut in the Test format whereas veteran fast-bowler James Anderson is rested for the match with an injury and in his absence, Stuart Broad will lead the bowling attack.
On the other hand, for Ireland, the game is another stepping stone in their relatively new story in the five-day format as they will be looking to put a serious test in front of the host team.
Lord's will be the venue for the contest which will be hosting its 138th Test on Wednesday. The ground is considered as having one of the best batting tracks in the country, however, there is a fair bit of grass left on the deck for this match. Average score in the first innings at Lord's is 314 whereas average score batting fourth is just 156. Highest team total of 729-6 was registered by Australia in 1930 whereas lowest total of 42 was registered by India in 1974.
Player Recommendations:
Batsman: Paul Stirling (9 Cr)
Paul Stirling is Ireland's most accomplished player in white-ball cricket, however, he is yet to leave a mark in the red-ball format. The 28-year-old has a rather subdued record in the first-class cricket where he averages just 28.63 with the bat in 68 matches which shows that he has a lot to prove in order to become a real force at the international level.
Wicketkeeper: Jonny Bairstow (10.5 Cr)
Jonny Bairstow is England's number one wicketkeeper-batsman in the five-day format. The 29-year-old has represented his country in 63 Tests where he has scored 3,806 runs at an average of 36.95, which included six centuries and 20 fifties.
All-rounder: Chris Woakes (9 Cr)
Chris Woakes is being termed as one of the most underrated all-rounders in the world of cricket. The 30-year-old has represented England in 26 Tests where he has scored 1,012 runs at an average of 30.66 and also has 72 wickets to his name.
Bowler: Boyd Rankin (8.5 Cr)
Boyd Rankin is Ireland's most experienced pacer in all formats. The 35-year-old will have a big role to play for the visitors in this match as he has the experience of playing 107 first-class matches where he has 348 wickets to his name at a strike-rate of 44.40 and at an average of just 26.50.
Predicted Playing XI:
England: Jason Roy, Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Joe Root (captain), Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, Oliver Stone
Ireland: William Porterfield (captain), Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, James McCollum, Kevin O'Brien, Gary Wilson (wicketkeeper), Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, Craig Young, Boyd Rankin, Tim Murtagh
