England name unchanged squad for Trent Bridge Test

England have named an unchanged squad for the third Test against India at Trent Bridge, meaning Ben Stokes is likely to miss out even if he is found not guilty of affray at Bristol Crown Court this week. In a statement released alongside the squad announcement for the third Test, which begins on Saturday (August 18), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) say an assessment will be made on Stokes’s availability once the trial has concluded.

Squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Chris Woakes

The national selectors met on Monday (August 13) after England wrapped up a comprehensive innings and 159-run win at Lord’s to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Stokes, who played a key role in the first win at Edgbaston with figures of 4 for 40 in the second innings, was unavailable for the second Test because of the commencement of the case relating to the incident that took place in Bristol last September.

After the closing speeches on Monday morning, the jury are expected to go out on Monday evening with a view to giving a verdict. A decision may only come later in the week. Once their decision is reached and the trial finishes, the Cricket Discipline Commission, independent of the ECB, will conduct their own hearing on Stokes and Alex Hales, who was also present that night in Bristol. This would further delay Stokes’s return, even if found innocent of the charges.

Stokes’s absence did not hamper England at Lord’s as Chris Woakes stepped up into the all-rounder’s role and put in a man-of-the-match performance. He registered a maiden Test century, scoring 137 not out, along with match figures of 4 for 43