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Denly to debut as England swing axe

Tourists make changes to their side as they look to respond in second Test against West Indies

England allrounder Joe Denly will make his debut in the second Test against the West Indies, replacing out-of-form opener Keaton Jennings for the match in Antigua.

Denly, 32, comes into the team after Jennings managed just 17 and 14 in the first Test in Barbados, which England lost by 381 runs.

Captain Joe Root named a 12-man squad for the match at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium, which starts on Thursday, with Stuart Broad and Jack Leach also in contention having missed out on a place in the side for the first Test.

"It gives Joe an opportunity," Root said of Denly, who played the first half of the KFC BBL season with Sydney Sixers.

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"It's disappointing for Keaton, he's done some excellent things and he will continue to work on developing his game and be a big part of this squad."

Jennings scored a hundred on his Test debut in India in 2016, but was axed nine months later before winning his spot back during the English summer last year. He scored a superb unbeaten 146 not out against Sri Lanka in Galle last November, but failed to pass fifty in his other 17 innings since his return.

Overall, he averages 25.86 from 16 Tests.

Denly made his international debut back in 2009, playing in the one-day and Twenty20 sides before waiting almost a decade to win a recall, taking four wickets with his leg-spin in a T20 victory over Sri Lanka last year.

Meanwhile, England leg-spinner Adil Rashid has temporarily left the tour and returned home.

"Adil Rashid will leave the party during the second Test to return home as his wife is expecting their second child," the England team announced on Twitter.

"He will return ahead of the ODIs."

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Rashid bowled just 26 overs in Barbados, going wicketless in the defeat.

West Indies captain Jason Holder insists that his team still "has a lot of work to do" to finish off a shell-shocked English side after the stunning result at Kensington Oval.

"It's great to be 1-0 up, but that's history,” the 27-year-old said after his majestic, career-best 202 last week.

“We are happy to be leading in the series, but we have our feet firmly on the ground.

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"We are not focusing on what happened before in Barbados. We are looking forward to this match and what we have ahead of us.

"There is still work to be done -- a lot of work still to be done -- but we know as long as we continue to work hard we will get the results we are looking for. I want to see us come out again and show that we can play well again and win again."


West Indies: Jason Holder (c), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas, Jomel Warrican (three to be omitted)

England: Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (c), Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Jack Leach (one to be omitted)