Keaton Jennings
Keaton Jennings

England v Pakistan second Test: Keaton Jennings in for Mark Stoneman at Headingley


Keaton Jennings has reurned to the England squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Headingley, with out-of-form opener Mark Stoneman missing out.

The hosts announced the only change to a 12-man squad early on Monday morning, following their nine-wicket defeat against Pakistan at Lord's.

England are 4/7 to win the second Test at Headingley and square the series at 1-1, while Pakistan are 11/4 to wrap things up with victory in Leeds.

Stoneman, short of runs for Surrey at the start of this summer, could muster just 13 in two innings in the first Test.

Twenty-five-year-old Jennings, who averaged 24.50 after the last of his six Tests almost 10 months ago - when he was replaced by Stoneman - has started his season well, hitting two Specsavers County Championship centuries already and averaging almost 44 for his new club Lancashire.

National selector Ed Smith said: "Keaton Jennings showed a strong temperament in scoring a hundred on his Test match debut against India in December 2016.

"Keaton has found good form in county cricket this season, including three centuries in his last seven innings (two in the First Division of the county championship, one in the Royal London Cup)."

Stoneman's opening partnership with national all-time record runscorer Alastair Cook has become the least fruitful in England's history, with a current output of less than 19 runs for each stand.

Smith said: "Mark Stoneman misses out at Emerald Headingley.

"Mark has experienced a disappointing start to the 2018 season and had a difficult Test match at Lord's."

England must win the second Test, which begins on Friday at Headingley, to avoid series defeat.

England squad: JE Root (Captain), AN Cook, KK Jennings, DJ Malan, JM Bairstow (wkt), BA Stokes, JC Buttler, CR Woakes, DM Bess, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, MA Wood

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