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Fit Anderson puts England in bowling dilemma for Vizag Test

November 16, 2016 18:03 IST

England captain Alastair Cook

IMAGE: England captain Alastair Cook. Photograph: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

England Test skipper Alastair Cook has said that his side will make a late call if they would stick with the same playing XI that played in Rajkot Test or would rest seamer Chris Woakes for the second match of the five-match series against India beginning on Thursday in Visakhapatnam.

Woakes, who had reportedly sustained a knee injury during the drawn first Test, is reportedly struggling with knee niggle, thus, prompting speculation that pace spearhead James Anderson could return to the side after regaining full fitness following a shoulder injury.

Although Cook insisted that Woakes is 'fine to play', he admitted that the latter was suffering from a bowling niggle.

"Woakes is the one we're looking at because of the amount of overs he has bowled over the last six or seven weeks. He was outstanding in Rajkot. So we will have to make a decision. He has just got a bowling niggle really. Just the normal wear and tear of bowling, so he's fine to play," Cook was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

In case Woakes is rested for the upcoming Test, England would face a tough call over picking Anderson or recalling Steven Finn or Jake Ball.

"It's a real tough one. We know what we've got coming up but the way the 11 guys played in the last game was outstanding. So it's either the rotation policy or do you stick with what we've got. That's the decision we've got to make," Cook said.

Source: ANI