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England have an exciting talent in Josh Hull on their hands, and they are ready to unleash him in the upcoming third and final Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval. The young pacer has burst through the scene and earned a maiden call-up following Mark Wood's injury in the series opener.
The six-foot-seven-inch tall bowler from Leicestershire has played 10 first-class matches, and has picked up 16 wickets at an average of 62.75 since his debut in 2023. Although his numbers are far from promising, he certainly stands out from the rest with his attributes, and that is certainly appealing to English cricket.
Hull has replaced Matthew Potts in the lineup for the series finale, and will be looking to cast an early impression to be a regular feature in the pace bowling unit transition.
On that note. let us take a look at three reasons why England picking Josh Hull for Oval Test vs Sri Lanka is the right move.
#1 There will not be a better time
One of England's biggest priorities in the home summer season was to establish a new pace bowling unit, along with certified backup options. This was necessary considering that Stuart Broad and James Anderson parted ways with the team in quick succession, leaving a huge gap.
The first part of the transition was successfully conducted with Gus Atkinson seemingly coming into the setup and establishing himself as a starter. With other options like Chris Woakes and Mark Wood also set in stone, England needed to have their backups in order.
The bench was called upon immediately after Ben Stokes suffered an injury ahead of the Sri Lanka series. Matthew Potts came in and carried out a fine job, but England had the luxury of another raw pacer on their hands.
With an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series at home and momentum on their hands, coupled with a struggling Sri Lanka side on the other end, it marks the perfect opportunity to hand Hull his debut. The youngster can bowl without any additional pressure given the circumstances.
#2 Brings in a bit of variety
England have not been blessed with many left-arm seamers of late. The last left-arm pacer to bowl in a Test for England was Sam Curran, whose last appearance came in 2021.
As a result, Hull's introduction comes across as a welcome sight for England, who have been content with right-handed options in the past. The youngster's inclusion makes the England bowling attack even more well-rounded. Woakes provides the new ball threat and experience while Atkinson and Olly Stone are capable of hitting the deck hard and troubling the batters with their pace.
Hull brings the variety and the X-Factor with him with his left-arm angle and his ability to extract bounce off the surface.
#3 Has already faced the Sri Lanka batters
Josh Hull was part of the England Lions squad that defeated Sri Lanka in a tour game ahead of the Test series in Worcester. He finished with figures of 3/30 and 2/20, dismissing key players like Angelo Mathews and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva.
He got the ball to swing, seam, and bounce to compile a worthwhile outing, and the display has certainly caught the eye of England, who did not hesitate to call him up when the opportunity struck. Having faced the opposition already, albeit in an unofficial contest, Hull will be confident of facing them again.
