England recall Dawid Malan for third Test, drop Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley

England batter Dawid Malan has returned to the England squad for the third Test against India at Headingley. The England Cricket Board (ECB) released a statement on Wednesday confirming the inclusion of the southpaw in the team.

Out of form English batters, Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley have been dropped from the squad and it looks certain that Haseeb Hameed will now partner Rory Burns at the top in Headingley. Spinner Jack Leach has been retained in the England team as a backup option for all-rounder Moeen Ali. 

On the other hand, pacer Saqib Mahmood is also named in the squad as a cover for James Anderson, Mark Wood, and Ollie Robinson. Mahmood had a brilliant limited-overs series against Pakistan and has been rewarded for the same. With Wood’s condition being monitored after he was dealt with a shoulder injury, Mahmood provides the management with an extra pace option if Wood misses out on the Headingly Test.

England Men’s Head Coach, Chris Silverwood, said: “Dawid Malan deserves his opportunity in the Test arena. He has a lot of experience across all formats and, if called upon, I am confident that he can come and do well on his home ground. In the limited time he has played first-class cricket this season, he has shown what he is capable of, scoring a highly accomplished 199 for Yorkshire against Sussex at Headingley in June.”

England squad for the third Test against India:

Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Mark Wood (Durham)