England bowl in 3rd Ashes Test as Australia make changes

LEEDS – England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to field at Headingley on Thursday in a must-win third Ashes Test for the hosts as Australia made three changes to their starting line-up.

Australia, 2-0 up with three to play, had been forced into a change after off-spinner Nathan Lyon suffered a tour-ending calf injury in their 43-run win in the second Test at Lord’s, with Todd Murphy taking his place.

Mitchell Marsh also came in for Cameron Green after his fellow all-rounder suffered a hamstring strain following the second Test, with paceman Scott Boland replacing fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who is being rested after playing consecutive Tests.

Australia star batsman Steve Smith, fresh from a hundred at Lord’s, will make his 100th Test appearance.

Stokes’s stunning 155 almost saw England to a remarkable win at Lord’s in a match where the stumping of team-mate Jonny Bairstow overshadowed a fine Australian victory.

Bairstow was given out when he thought the ball was dead, provoking a furious row that ended up involving both British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

England had already named their side on Wednesday, also making three changes.

They omitted all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson, with express quick Mark Wood, seam-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes and spinner Moeen Ali recalled.

Anderson’s 688 wickets are the most by any fast bowler in Test history, but the 40-year-old swing specialist has struggled in this series, with just three wickets at more than 75 apiece.

Moeen replaced Ollie Pope after the vice-captain was ruled out of the rest of the season due to dislocating his shoulder at Lord’s, with Harry Brook promoted up the order to No 3.

‘GET SOMETHING OUT OF THE PITCH’

A green-tinged pitch offered the hope of early movement for England’s quicks, with Stokes saying at the toss: “It looks a good cricket wicket but hopefully we can get something out of the pitch this morning.”

Stokes, whose brilliant unbeaten hundred guided England to a remarkable one-wicket win over Australia in the corresponding 2019 Ashes clash at Headingley, added: “It’s an amazing place to play cricket, especially with the Western Terrace. They get right behind us. We love playing cricket here.”

Pat Cummins, just one win away from becoming the first Australia captain to win an Ashes series in England in 22 years, said: “We would have had a bowl as well but I don’t think it’s too big a deal.”

Turning to former skipper Smith, the fast bowler added: “The standard he’s set over those matches, averaging nearly 60. Hopefully, it’s another huge week for him.”

Adding fuel to the fire of Bairstow’s exit at Lord’s is that this Test is being played on the Yorkshireman’s home ground, but Cummins said Australia were prepared for a fiery atmosphere.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less up here,” he said. “It was a great game in 2019, the last two Tests have been pretty good so hopefully another one here.”

England are bidding to become just the second team in Test history to win a series from 2-0 down following the 1936/37 team Australia side, inspired by batting legend Don Bradman, that recovered to win an Ashes 3-2.

Teams

England: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Ben Stokes (capt), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wkt), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Todd Murphy

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Nitin Menon (IND)

TV umpire: Joel Wilson (WIS)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)