England are 3-0 down in the series with two Tests left to play. The Ashes are gone but there’s still pride to play for.
Sign up to bet365 to be entered into a draw for the chance to win a Wisden t-shirt of your choice, terms and conditions apply, more information here 18+ begambleaware.org
The action now moves to Sydney – what changes, if any, will England make for the fourth Test? Here’s a look at the selection questions that team management will have to weigh up.
Will there be more changes in the batting department?
After their defeat in the second Test at Adelaide, England made two changes to their batting line-up for the MCG, replacing opener Rory Burns with Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope at No.6 with Jonny Bairstow. Neither of the replacements were able to cure England’s batting woes – the visitors were bowled out for 68 on day three to fall to an innings defeat. Crawley hit scores of 12 and 5 while Bairstow hit 35 in his first innings before departing for 5 in his second.
The issue for England is they are now running out of new options to try and improve their batting returns – Dan Lawrence is the only frontline batter in the squad who hasn’t been given a go in the series yet. The Essex batter has not played for England since the first Test against India last summer but does have a first-class century in Australia to his name, having hit 125 against Australia A at the MCG in 2020.
Will Stuart Broad return?
Broad took to his Mail on Sunday column to express his disappointment at having played only one of England’s three Tests in the series so far. “As a wobble-seam bowler, I feel as though I missed out on two of the best wobble-seam pitches in Australia,” said the 35-year-old.
Any changes made to England’s seam-bowling attack from the third Test would require a bold call: James Anderson impressed with figures of 4-33; Mark Wood exhibited his pace once more to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne for 1; and Ollie Robinson is England’s leading wicket-taker in the series with nine wickets at an average of 26. The case for resting any quicks is weakened by the fact that England’s bowlers were required to bowl in only one innings at the MCG.
Will England stick by Jack Leach?
Where England remain difficult to predict is with their use of Jack Leach. Ignored for the whole home summer after impressing in the winter against Sri Lanka and India, Leach played in the Gabba opener, was dropped for the Adelaide Test before returning at Melbourne to take 1-46 from his 15 overs. Will they keep faith in the left-arm spinner or opt, like they did at Adelaide, for the addition of an extra quick, thus helping improve Broad’s chances of selection? Dom Bess remains another spin-bowling option on the sidelines and, as an off spinner, would turn the ball away from most of Australia’s top seven.
