Change of pace on tour for Test
THE Ashes are lost and now changes loom for the beaten tourists with up to three new players potentially playing for England on Boxing Day.
A cracked rib to fast bowler Craig Overton limited his late output in Perth and the big quick declared playing in Melbourne might be a “push”.
There is a growing bid for Mark Wood, in Australia with the English Lions, to come in and add some real pace to a team that has taken just 35 of a potential 60 wickets through three Tests,
Wood, or Jake Ball, look the likely replacement for Overton while the immediate future of Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali is also under a cloud.
Broad has been substandard through the three Tests so far with five wickets and his figures of 0-142 in Perth were the worst of his 112Test career.
It’s been revealed he had a scan on his knee before the game and also required fluid to be removed and should he not get up for Melbourne a second pace replacement could be required.
England coach Trevor Bayliss said Broad hadn’t complained about his knee and that he had the quality to “bounce back” in Melbourne if passed fit to play.
“Broady is a quality pace bowler and has been for a number of years. He didn’t take any wickets in this game but I’m sure it’s not the first time and I’m sure he’s got that experience to be able to bounce back,” Bayliss said.
And leg-spinner Mason Crane is in the frame to make his Test debut to replace Ali who has been slammed from all quarters for his lacklustre efforts in the series so far.
He has taken just three wickets, bowling with a finger he injured in Brisbane, and is averaging only 19 with the bat, which was enough to draw the ire of former England captain Bob Willis.
“Moeen has three wickets in three Tests and has not extracted turn or kept the runs down. He hasn’t contributed anything worthwhile with the bat, either,” Willis wrote in The Sun.
“He has been a massive disappointment.”
Crane, who played a single Sheffield Shield game for NSW last summer and was the leading wicket taker in Sydney grade cricket, played all the warm-up games for England and could provide the tourists a spinning option.