Hoggard out for second Test

Matthew Hoggard’s back worries are serious enough to keep him out for the next Test against India, Stuart Broad is retained.

The selectors have decided the Yorkshireman has not recovered fully enough from the back troubles that ruled him out of the drawn Test at Lord’s. He underwent a fitness Test today, after which the decision was made, and will undergo another later in the week, to see if he is fit to return to action for county side Yorkshire.

Despite missing Hoggard, as well as Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison, England’s pace attack bowled better than they done all summer, and came in for praise from David Graveney, chairman of selectors: “There were many positive aspects to our performance in the first Test and we were particularly impressed by the efforts of our inexperienced bowling attack against high-quality opposition.”

“They bowled well as a unit and the challenge now will be for them to maintain the same levels of consistency at Nottingham.”