Mahmood and Overton in Test battle

Sport

Will Macpherson Cricket Correspondent at Headingley

ENGLAND were today weighing up the final place in their XI for the Third Test against India tomorrow, with Craig Overton and Saqib Mahmood vying to replace Mark Wood. Mahmood’s extra pace makes him the favourite to play on what England are expecting to be a slow pitch here at Headingley. Any prospect of the surface quickening up today were fading with thick cloud set in. Overton has a superior first-class record, is a better batter and has the experience of four Tests, with the last two years ago against Australia at Old Trafford. Mahmood is a more like-for-like replacement for Wood, who this week joined an England injury list containing Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, who is taking a break from the game. Barring a last-minute change of heart, there will be two changes to the England XI, which in a time of remarkable selection turbulence represents relative stability. Dom Sibley has been dropped, with Dawid Malan coming in at No3 and Haseeb Hameed shifting up to the top of the order alongside Rory Burns in a ponytailed opening pair. Malan last played Test cricket in 2018. Wood is expected to return for the Fourth Test at the Kia Oval next week, while Woakes is also a possibility, having taken three wickets for Warwickshire’s second team. The concern is how he pulls up after bowling.