Ollie Pope’s position at No 3 appears to be the most vulnerable in England’s batting line-up as they prepare to pick a team for Wednesday’s third Ashes Test.
England fly to Adelaide on Saturday, having spent four days on a mid-Ashes break in Noosa, the idyllic seaside resort on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, a trip that has attracted criticism in some quarters given they are 2-0 down in the series.
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The England management have some awkward selection decisions to make. Pope, who has batted at No 3 for most of the last four years and was vice-captain until this tour, is the most under threat in the top seven.
Pope had a promising first Test, but two poor dismissals in Brisbane have served to highlight the fact that in seven matches against Australia he has failed to make even a half-century and has an average in the teens.
Jacob Bethell would be the obvious option to replace him, although he has endured a lean run until making 71 for England Lions against an experienced Australia A side in Brisbane last week. It would be a leap for England to throw Bethell into the Ashes for just his third red-ball match of the year.
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Jacob Bethell on his way to 71 for England Lions against an experienced Australia A side in Brisbane last week – Getty Images/Albert Perez
Misfiring wicketkeeper Jamie Smith is likely to keep his place. After the second Test, in which Smith scored just four runs and dropped a vital catch, coach Brendon McCullum hinted that Smith would retain his place, saying: “I’m sure he’ll appreciate the conditions in Adelaide with the boundary sizes and the pitch.”
England did not train or hold team meetings while in Noosa, but they will have a training session in Adelaide on Sunday. There are questions to answer around the bowling attack, too.
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Atkinson also faces being dropped
With Mark Wood flying home on Saturday, Josh Tongue is the likeliest quick to come in on what is expected to be a batting-friendly Adelaide Oval surface. Brydon Carse picked up four expensive wickets in Brisbane but is loved by the management, and insiders believe that Gus Atkinson could be dropped first. Matthew Potts provides another seam option, although he may find conditions more to his liking in Melbourne.
Australia are certain to recall Nathan Lyon on a ground that spinners enjoy, and England will debate whether to bring Shoaib Bashir back into their side for the first time since his injury in July. However, Will Jacks’s bits-and-pieces offering across four innings in Brisbane – including doughty runs, one wicket and a brilliant catch to dismiss Steve Smith – should secure his place in the XI.
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Archer under attack
Jofra Archer is certain to play barring last-minute injury concerns, but has attracted yet more criticism from former players after producing his quickest spell in Test cricket at the end of the Brisbane Test. Ryan Harris, the former Australia quick best remembered for a magic ball to Alastair Cook amid his key role in the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash, instructed Archer to remove the gold chain he wears round his neck.
“If he takes it off, he might be able to bowl quicker. We all know you’ve got a bit of money, mate – take it off, will ya?” Harris said on SEN radio. “He came out with 60 runs to go and pulled the handbrake off which, from everyone’s point of view, was so disappointing. But what we also have to think about is this bloke hasn’t played any red-ball cricket, Test cricket, back-to-back cricket for a number of years.
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“Any cricket he has played has been four-over stuff, or the odd one-dayer. His body is wrecked – we know that. He’s got a bad elbow. It’s bloody hard to bowl fast, and you have got to practise it, and do a lot of it.”
Ricky Ponting doubled down on his criticism of Archer, saying he had “just embarrassed himself, and he embarrassed his team the other night”.
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