London, Sep 4 England's Josh Hull will make his international debut in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval, starting on Friday. Hull will replace Matthew Potts in what will be England’s only change to the side that clinched a series victory with a commanding 190-run win at Lord’s, giving them an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Mark Wood's absence due to a thigh injury opened the door for Hull. His ability to generate bounce from his towering height, coupled with his pace—which can touch the 85-90 mph mark—and the left-arm angle, makes him unique
Until recently, Hull was largely unknown outside of county circles, having taken 11 wickets at an average of 84.54 in his nine County Championship appearances for Leicestershire. However, his physical attributes and potential have caught the eye of England’s selectors, particularly after he impressed with match figures of 5-74 on his England Lions debut last month.
Ollie Pope, who is captaining the side in the absence of the injured Ben Stokes, spoke highly of Hull’s potential. "When you're 6ft 7in and you can get it down pushing up to the 85-90mph mark, and with a bit of swing with the left-arm angle, there's a lot to like about it," Pope said in the pre-match press conference.
"It's a really exciting week for him. He has a massive ceiling—figuratively, as well as literally. We’re all excited to see what he can do in this Test and going forward. It’s always great to see young players come through and take their opportunities at this level," he added.
Hull has also been named in England’s white-ball squads for the upcoming series against Australia. However, his debut at The Oval will likely rule him out of contention for the first T20I at the Ageas Bowl, given the 24-hour turnaround between the scheduled end of the third Test and the start of the limited-overs series.
England Playing XI:
Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, Josh Hull, Shoaib Bashir.
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