England have resisted the temptation to blood a new opener in the final Test of the summer against India at the Oval, despite the imminent retirement of Alastair Cook.
It was thought the selectors could have called up a possible successor to Cook, for whom the match will be his 161st and final Test, to assimilate him into the squad before the tours to Sri Lanka and West Indies. The Surrey opener Rory Burns and Joe Denly of Kent were mentioned in dispatches.
There is only one change to England’s squad from the series-sealing victory at the Ageas Bowl, with James Vince, who was called up as injury cover for Jonny Bairstow in Southampton, the only absentee from a 13-man party.
It means Ollie Pope, dropped in Southampton to accommodate the return of Moeen Ali, retains his place in the squad and the 20-year-old batsman will join up with England before the start of the final Test on Thursday morning after playing the first two days of Surrey’s championship match at Essex.
Chris Woakes is also retained, despite being ruled out of the fourth Test with a muscle problem. England are hopeful Woakes will be fit for selection at the Oval and will monitor his progress during the two practice days leading into the Test.
If fully recovered, Woakes could return as part of a four-man seam attack if England decide Adil Rashid, the leg-spinner who was overshadowed by Moeen’s nine wickets in the last Test, is surplus to requirements.
Pope also has a chance of coming back into the XI, probably lower down the order at No 6, if Rashid is overlooked.
No decision has been yet over the identity of England’s wicketkeeper, although it appears likely Jos Buttler will retain the gloves after making a successful return to the role in the fourth Test, in which he filled in for Bairstow, whose fractured finger meant he played as a specialist batsman.
The absence of Vince for the Oval indicates there are no problems with Bairstow’s finger. He will hope to have a more successful return at No 4 than he did in Southampton, where he made six and nought.
The England selector James Taylor was in Chelmsford on Tuesday to watch Surrey’s championship match against Essex, where he was no doubt keeping tabs on Burns and Pope.
