Ashes: England call up Plunkett and Footitt for fourth Test

Bowlers Liam Plunkett and Mark Footitt have been included in England’s 14-man squad for the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Trent Bridge.

Adam Lyth is also set to continue as opener after retaining his place in the 14-man squad.

Cook asserted that it was disappointing to lose the fast bowler for the upcoming Test, especially after seeing Anderson’s brilliant record at Trent Bridge, stuff.co.nz reported.

Speaking about the team selection, national selector James James Whitaker said: “With James Anderson missing this Test through injury and some concerns over Mark Wood’s workload in the build up to the last Test, we felt that bringing in two extra bowlers in Liam Plunkett and Mark Footitt was necessary”.

As well as Anderson’s certain absence, doubt remains over the fitness of Mark Wood after the 25 -year-old Durham seamer missed the third Test with an ankle injury, though England are hopeful he will recover in time.

Footitt is the only uncapped member of the squad but has forced his way into the reckoning by sheer weight of wickets – 132 in 27 LV County Championship matches over the last two seasons.

With England’s all-time leading wicket taker ruled out after suffering a side strain during the victory at Edgbaston, the selectors have kept their seam-bowling options open for the match at Trent Bridge.

But should their current trend continue, England will find themselves all square at 2-2 heading into the series finale at The Oval.

England’s win at Edgbaston was all the more impressive given their mammoth 405-run loss to Australia in the second Test at Lord’s.

Their new coach Bayliss has reason to hope, after a convincing performance in a hectic three-day Test in Birmingham, that they may be able to break the sequence against his native country.