LEEDS (England), June 2: The return of England captain Michael Vaughan, the retirement of predecessor Nasser Hussain and niggling injuries for New Zealand will change the shape of both sides in the second Test starting at Headingley on Thursday.
The swinging conditions and seaming pitch at the Leeds venue might also lead to team changes, with England spinner Ashley Giles in particular not assured of his place. New Zealand have injury concerns over batsman Craig McMillan and all-rounder Jacob Oram, who played well with bat and ball in the first Test defeat at Lord's.
Oram looks set to play as a specialist batsman in the second of the three-match series, as a side strain incurred in a tour match with Leicestershire on Monday will prevent him bowling. Kyle Mills is primed for his debut.
McMillan has broken the same finger he fractured earlier in the tour. A decision on his fitness was to be taken later on Wednesday. Opener Michael Papps could replace him, leaving captain Stephen Fleming to revert to number three.
However, Fleming added to his side's growing list of injuries when officials revealed on Wednesday he was suffering from an ear infection. "He's developed an ear infection but we are hopeful he'll be fit for for tomorrow," tour manager Lindsay Crocker told reporters.
"It's part and parcel of it," added coach John Bracewell after Fleming failed to appear at a news conference. "We are confident he'll be right." England won the first Test by seven wickets but the victory was far from easy after New Zealand set the home side 282 to win. It was only the third time a team chasing above 200 had won a Test at Lord's.
Debutant Andrew Strauss played a major part in England's free run scoring at Lord's, calmly stroking a first-innings century and then adding 83 before being cruelly run out by colleague Hussain.
Strauss made such an impression that he has kept his place opening the batting at the expense of Vaughan. The England captain missed his side's win due to a knee injury and has decided to move to four rather than disrupt Strauss.
Vaughan's batting average as captain is 33.91, while his overall Test average is 45.44. He said the idea of dropping down the order was mooted even before Strauss's arrival.
"It has been in our thoughts for a while for me to drop down, we have discussed it over the past year and we have found a really good replacement for me in Andrew Strauss," Vaughan told reporters.
"It's always been a thought that my style of batting was suited to number four. If you can bat you can bat anywhere in the top six and if you have opened the batting that also helps."
The vacancy in the middle order was created by Hussain's decision to retire following his match-winning century at Lord's.
The 36-year-old was England's most experienced player with 96 Tests and was still an important part of the team despite his diminishing powers.
The home side called up Kent seamer Martin Saggers on Wednesday after James Anderson was ruled out with a bruised heel. Saggers, though, is not expected to feature with England keeping the same fast bowling line-up.
New Zealand will look to their bowlers, including Chris Cairns, to exploit Headingley's often overcast conditions. Cairns, in his penultimate Test before retirement, took one wicket at Lord's.
Second Test begins today Teams (from):
England: Michael Vaughan (captain), Andrew Strauss, Mark Butcher, Graham Thorpe, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Martin Saggers.
New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Nathan Astle, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Mathew Sinclair.
Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Simon Taufel (Australia).
Match referee: Clive Lloyd (West Indies). -Agencies