The off-spinning all-rounder – who will captain England in their two-day match against a Cricket Australia XI – is to play as a specialist batsman to allow his injured finger more time to heal.

“I ripped it in the first game and it’s not been easy. It just needs to heal,” Moeen said.

“As soon as I start bowling it starts to rip a little bit, but it is healing now. I hope another week or at least five or six days will be quite good for it.”

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Moeen’s preparations for the series were hampered by a side injury which prevented him from bowling in any of England’s warm-up matches and that lack of overs has told – he has so far taken two wickets at a cost of 98 apiece. He then sustained a rip to the skin on his spinning finger in the first Test which further impaired his ability to compete with the in-form Nathan Lyon.

The third Test starts in Perth on December 14.