Crane to make Test debut as England target first victory
sydney — Seamer Chris Woakes has been ruled out with a side strain opening the way for young leg-spinner Mason Crane to make his debut for England in Thursday’s final Ashes Test against Australia.
England skipper Joe Root confirmed 20-year-old Crane will play following the injury set-back to Woakes.
Woakes had scans on his injured left side on Wednesday and was ruled out of the Sydney Test as the tourists seek to win their first Test win of the series.
The Warwickshire paceman missed a significant part of England’s home season after straining his side during last year’s Champions Trophy and pulled up sore after last week’s fourth Melbourne Test.
Woakes has taken 10 wickets at 49.5 in the four Tests and scored
The way Crane went about those Twenty20s shows he is right up for international cricket Joe Root
just 114 runs through seven innings batting number eight at an average of 16.28.
But he is a key member of England’s limited overs sides — and with both a one-day international series and a Twenty20 tri-series to follow over the next month, England are not prepared to risk him.
Crane, who has made two Twenty20 appearances, comes into the Test having taken five wickets for New South Wales at the SCG last year while playing Sydney club cricket.
“The way he went about those Twenty20s shows he is right up for international cricket and he’s not someone that is going to back down from any challenge,” Root said.
Australia captain Steve Smith brushed off concerns about his fitness on the eve of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England on Wednesday before Mitchell Starc’s return to spearhead the pace attack was confirmed as the only change to his team. Left-arm quick Starc, the leading wickettaker in the series after claiming 19 in the first three Tests as Australia wrested back the Ashes, missed the drawn fourth Test in Melbourne with a bruised heel but confirmed his fitness in the nets.
“Starcy’s pulled up pretty well this morning and said he’s ready to go,” Smith told reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). — Reuters, AFP