England are strongly considering moving Harry Brook up the batting order to No 3 for the third Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley, live on Sky Sports.
Ollie Pope’s series has been ended by the dislocated shoulder he suffered during last week’s 43-run defeat at Lord’s, a result which leaves England 2-0 down in the five-match contest.
It now appears Brook is likely to take Pope’s place at No 3 in the order for the third Test – starting in Leeds on Thursday – which could see Dan Lawrence fail to make the team again.
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Watch as Sir Geoffrey Boycott was left with his head in his hands after seeing Brook’s dismissal on day three of the second Ashes Test
Moeen Ali is likely to return from injury, while bowlers Chris Woakes and Mark Wood are in line to come in for James Anderson and Josh Tongue.
Moeen’s inclusion would give England a frontline spinner, with the 36-year-old sitting out the second Test at Lord’s as the hosts picked an all-seam frontline attack of Anderson, Tongue, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson and Ben Stokes, supported by Joe Root’s part-time off-spin.
Moeen Ali is likely to be involved at Headingley following his finger injury
Wood would provide the speed in Leeds should he make his first Test appearance since the final game of the 3-0 sweep in Pakistan in December.
England wanted to select Wood at Lord’s but decided he needed extra time to reach full fitness with Tongue given an Ashes debut instead.
Woakes would be playing his first Test since the tour of West Indies in March 2022 and first at home since September 2021.
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Australia captain Pat Cummins dismissed Joe Root with a snorter of a short ball and then bowled Brook during a superb over at Lord’s
‘Time to move on’ – Root shifts focus ahead of pivotal Ashes Test
Joe Root feels it is time to move on from Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal in the second Test at Lord’s and focus on England playing their best cricket to keep their slim hopes of regaining the Ashes alive.
England head into the third Test at Headingley 2-0 down and needing to win in order to keep the series as a contest but former captain Root feels the side are more than up to the challenge.
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Root reflects on the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow in the second Ashes Test
Despite much of the focus in the build-up being on Bairstow’s dismissal at the hands of Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey, Root believes it is time for all involved to move on and begin concentrating on the action still to come.
“I think it’s time for everyone to move on and we can concentrate on this game now,” said Root.
“We’ve got to play well for three games and we’ve shown in our recent form, that we’re more than capable of doing that.”
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Watch bitesize highlights of the fifth day of the second Test between England and Australia at Lords.
Watch the crucial third Test of this summer’s men’s Ashes series live on Sky Sports Cricket from Thursday July 6. Coverage from Headingley starts from 10am with the first ball at 11am. Also stream this summer’s men’s and women’s Ashes series on NOW TV.