Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson included in England lineup for opening Test at Lords
England’s new skipper Joe Root has stated that Liam Dawson will play the first Test against South Africa at Lords. Dawson who made his debut against India in Chennai last year will play his second game for England. Toby-Roland Jones will have to wait another game to make his debut as Dawson will look to form a good partnership with Moeen Ali in the first game. This will be the first time since 1993 that England is going to play two spinners for a test match at Lords Cricket Ground.
Root also stated Gary Balance will bat at 3 with Jonny Bairstow coming in at no.5 in the batting order. England will be keen for a strong show against South Africa in the four-match series that will begin on 6th July at Lords. They are currently placed with 99 points but a good result in this series will move them to third place in ICC Test Team Rankings.
