Teenage fast bowler Eddie Jack has been given the chance to train with the England seniors ahead of the first Test against India. He impressed in the two four-day games against India A and the Test series starts on June 20 at Headingley, the start of a new World Test Championship cycle.
The 19-year-old from Hampshire caught the eye when he got KL Rahul out, who had scored a century in the first innings, in the second match in Northampton. Standing at 6ft 4in, Jack has made an impression on the Lions’ coaching team which includes Andrew Flintoff, Mark Wood and Graeme Swann.
He hasn’t played in the County Championship yet but has played two first-class games against India A and represented the England U-19 team in South Africa earlier this year. He took five wickets last month in a warm-up game against Zimbabwe playing for a combined counties XI. In Northampton he consistently troubled India’s Test players including Nitish Reddy and Dhruv Jurel and eventually got Jurel out who was player of the match in a previous Test against England.
Jack’s call up comes as England are short of pace bowlers just days before the first Test. Jofra Archer is out for this match, Mark Wood is out for the summer with an injury and Gus Atkinson is still recovering from a hamstring strain. Chris Woakes bowled 32 overs in the game against India A and took five wickets while Josh Tongue who is expected to be part of the Test squad took two wickets.
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This series will also see Indian cricket start a new chapter under Shubman Gill’s leadership after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. India are looking for their first Test series win in England since 2007.
