Cox, Baker to debut in Oval Test

After being named to England's XI for the second Test two days out from the game, wicketkeeper-batsman Jordan Cox and pacer Sonny Baker will make their debuts against New Zealand at The Oval on June 17. England have been forced into making four changes in wake of the ongoing investigation into a nightclub incident involving regular captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson following the Lord's Test. Jofra Archer, a pacer, returns to the team as well. His inclusion gives England a much-needed boost after Atkinson's absence and Ollie Robinson's knee injury, which kept him out of this Test. England has chosen a four-man pace attack that includes Surrey's Matthew Fisher, who will play in his second Test after making his debut in the Caribbean in 2022. Spinner Shoaib Bashir has also been left out. Fisher will get a chance to make a mark on his home ground and has picked up 18 matches from six Championship games this season at an average of 35.72. Cox is set to slot in at No. 7 in place of Stokes and has been picked ahead of James Rew, who was named the backup gloveman for the first Test while Cox completed his IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Cox slammed a 201-ball 204 for Essex in the ongoing round of the County Championship against Leicestershire. He has also featured in 3 ODIs and 6 T20Is. Baker, who made his ODI and T20I debut in the 2025 summer, forced himself into the Test squad following a strong start to the County Championship Division One season for Hampshire. This season, he has taken 22 wickets at a rate of 24.86 each from six Championship matches. Incidentally, the aforementioned Caribbean tour marked Joe Root's last at the helm of England's Test team until he answered an SOS call to step in while Stokes was ruled out of the Oval Test. Currently, England holds a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, which is part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.