Harry Brook to make Test debut in series decider

Brook has spent much of the season with England as recognition for his fine form with Yorkshire, but it has taken until the last Test of the home summer for an opportunity to arrive

Harry Brook has replaced Jonny Bairstow in England's single change to the side that beat South Africa so convincingly at Emirates Old Trafford.

Brook's addition for the deciding Test at the Kia Oval was the only alternation expected, with Bairstow set to miss the rest of the year after breaking his leg in a freak golfing accident on Friday morning.

Ollie Robinson retains his place after his performance in Manchester on his return to the fold for the first time since the conclusion of the winter Ashes series.

Brook has spent much of the season with England as recognition for his fine form with Yorkshire, but it has taken until the last Test of the home summer for an opportunity to arrive. He made his T20I bow in January.

He was named in the first Test squad picked by Rob Key after Brendon McCullum's appointment as head coach for the series against New Zealand but missed out to Ollie Pope, who was selected at No.3, and Bairstow, who followed his Ashes century with another hundred in the Caribbean ahead of the English summer.

^{Brook made a century for England Lions last month (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)}

And with England showing loyalty to the players who have performed so impressively under Ben Stokes' captaincy, it has taken Bairstow's misfortune to foster a Test debut for the 23-year-old, who could scarcely have done more in the last five months to earn his cap.

He has made 967 runs in eight matches, reaching three figures three times and fifty on six occasions, averaging 107.44 in the process. He will become England's eighth Test debutant of 2022, having made 140 for England Lions against the South Africans in a pre-series warmup match.

The series is level at 1-1 ahead of the final Test match of the summer.

England XI: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson

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