LONDON, June 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Stand-in England captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to field in the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval on Wednesday as the hosts look to put the Ben Stokes saga behind them.

"I want to make first use of this surface," said Root of a green-tinged pitch after rain delayed the scheduled toss by 30 minutes.

"I think it's a great opportunity for our attack to get out there and carry on the great work we did last week."

England, despite winning the first Test by 115 runs, made five changes to the side that triumphed at Lord's to go 1-0 up in a three-match series, with debuts given to three players -- batsman Jordan Cox, fast bowler Sonny Baker and wicket-keeper James Rew.

The last time England had as many as three debutants in a team was against South Africa at the Oval in 2017.

Stokes and Gus Atkinson were both dropped as a disciplinary measure after breaking a team curfew by staying out in a late-night drinking session that reportedly ended in a physical confrontation involving a Saracens rugby player.

Fast bowler Ollie Robinson, who took seven wickets in the first Test, was ruled out with knee soreness.

Jofra Archer returned following his IPL commitments to spearhead England's pace attack, which also included Surrey's Matthew Fisher, who was recalled on his home ground after England dropped spinner Shoaib Bashir.

Rew was a late call-up after first-choice wicket-keeper Jamie Smith withdrew Tuesday following the birth of his second child.

New Zealand made just the one change, with Henry Nicholls replacing Kane Williamson at number three after the batsman announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect following the first Test.

Fast bowler Matt Henry, who suffered from back spasms at Lord's, was passed fit for a match New Zealand must win to have a chance of taking the series.

Teams

England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root (capt), Harry Brook, James Rew (wkt), Jordan Cox, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher, Sonny Baker

New Zealand: Tom Latham (capt), Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wkt), Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke

Umpires: Nitin Menon (IND), Adrian Holdstock (RSA)

TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)