Chris Silverwood says England will field a strong side for the third and final Test

English head coach Chris Silverwood has said that England will pick the strongest attack for the series-deciding third and final Test match against the West Indies that will be played on Friday, July 24. The hosts had registered a fantastic 113-run win in the previous contest at the Old Trafford in Manchester to level the three-match series 1-1. 

Meanwhile, it has also been learned that star all-rounder Ben Stokes might be rested for the decider. The southpaw had played an instrumental role at Manchester as he scored 176 in the first innings and then went on to score an unbeaten quickfire 78 in the second.

'It’s about being very honest and open': Chris Silverwood

“We’ve got to put out the strongest attack that’s available to us. It’s very difficult to keep everybody happy all the time. But if you do things for the right reason, I think there’s an understanding there. It’s about being very honest and open with what we are trying to do and why,” said Silverwood while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.

“Everyone wants to play all the time and I’d probably be more disappointed if they didn’t. When you’re leaving out world-class players, from my point of view it’s a very good place for English cricket to be. It’s never easy and you’re always going to get pushback. But you try to be as honest as possible,” he added.

At the same time, it has also been learned that veteran pacer James Anderson and young speedster Jofra Archer will also be selected for the third Test match. Archer was banned from the previous Test for violating the team's bio-secure protocol and he was also fined an undisclosed amount by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Winner takes it all

After the Windies had drawn the first blood at Southampton, a spirited English side settled the score in the following Test at the Old Trafford. It now remains to be seen who will have the last laugh in the series-decider or whether both teams will have to share the trophy in case the contest ends in a stalemate.

(Image Courtesy: AP)