Ben Stokes backs Josh Tongue to make immediate impact in second Ashes Test

Ben Stokes has backed Worcestershire fast bowler Josh Tongue to make an immediate impact as England seek to square the Ashes in the second Test starting at Lord’s today – and said he would continue to ‘make the right decisions’ for his side after criticism of his captaincy at Edgbaston.

Tongue, who took five wickets on debut against Ireland at Lord’s earlier this month, will replace spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali in the team that lost the first Test to Australia by two wickets, and Stokes has earmarked him for the role of enforcer – bowling short when the pitch goes flat.

With Jimmy Anderson ‘flying’, according to Stokes, despite concerns over his fitness in Birmingham, and England concluding that Tongue’s pace will offer more than Ali’s turn, it means England’s spin-bowling duties will rest on the shoulders of Joe Root.

Mark Wood, meanwhile, told his captain he was unsure he could perform the role required of him at Lord’s as he continues his return to fitness. England plan to unleash him in next week’s third Test at Headingley, with Stokes hoping he can then ‘play a full part’ in the series.

In that respect, England believe Tongue can be a like-for-like alternative for Wood, as Stokes’s team look to avoid going 2-0 down with three to play, a deficit that has been overturned only once in the history of Test cricket. And his performance against Ireland, where he broke 90mph, caught Stokes’s eye. 

Ben Stokes has backed Josh Tongue to make an immediate impact in the second Ashes Test

Tongue impressed on debut against Ireland, taking five wickets during the second innings

‘I was particularly impressed with how he played different roles,’ said Stokes. ‘His first spell was just trying to bowl wicket-taking deliveries. Then we used him in a different way, where we attacked the Ireland batters with our short-ball plan. Broady, Jimmy and Robbo will tell you it’s always nice having someone who can bowl at 90mph doing it.

Some of the spotlight at Lord’s this week will be on Stokes’s tactical aggression, not least following his first-evening declaration at Edgbaston, with England 393 for eight and Root unbeaten on 118.

But Stokes insisted: ‘Everything I do as a captain, the decisions I make, is to influence a win for England. I’m not always going to make the right decision. I am not arrogant enough to expect everyone to agree with what I do, but I have been able to make the 10 other guys out on the field and everyone in the squad really believe in what we are trying to do.’

Stokes also hit back at criticism of his captaincy tactics during the first Test at Edgbaston

Meanwhile, Australia captain Pat Cummins insisted there was more to come from his side 

And Stokes backed Ollie Robinson to continue with the aggression that earned him a warning from match referee Andy Pycroft following his send-off to Australian opener Usman Khawaja.

‘I won’t be having a word with him, saying rein yourself in,’ said Stokes. ‘You don’t want to take something away from a player that gets the best out of him. He loves the competition. It’s professional sport, emotions are high, it’s an Ashes series. That was a moment we really desperately needed a breakthrough and he was the man who got it.’

Australia were still trying to decide which of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood or Scott Boland to omit, but their captain Pat Cummins warned England that his team had room for improvement after winning at Edgbaston without a big contribution from Marnus Labuschagne or Steve Smith.

‘That is one of the most pleasing things, that we weren’t at our best but still managed to get over the line,’ he said. ‘That is not always going to be the case. History would suggest Marnus and Smithy rarely miss out, so I am expecting a big week from them.’