England captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat against New Zealand in the second and final Test at Edgbaston on Thursday as James Anderson became their most-capped player of all time. LIVE | England v NZ, 2nd TestAnderson, already Test cricket's leading all-time paceman with 616 wickets, was making his 162nd appearance, surpassing the England record he had shared with retired former captain Alastair Cook. It meant that England were once again without a specialist spinner, with Root deciding to bat first despite overcast conditions that promised to assist his pace attack. An injury-hit New Zealand made six changes in total, with wicketkeeper BJ Watling's withdrawal due to a back injury announced less than half-an-hour before the toss. New Zealand welcomed back Trent Boult after the left-arm seamer missed the first Test having taken family leave following the suspension of the Indian Premier League.

Source: News 24 June 10, 2021 10:18 UTC