The Ashes urn is back in Australian hands after three Tests and around 13 days of cricket down under this series, but what can a beleaguered England do to prevent another 5-0 whitewash?
On the evidence of what we’ve seen so far – probably not much, given the gulf in class between the two sides, particularly in the fast bowling department. Add in England’s off-the-field misdemeanours and the tour couldn’t have gone much worse.
While the series and Ashes is lost, the Boxing Day Test match at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground is a superb occasion and the tourists will want to put on a performance to restore an element of pride, and serve the legion of Barmy Army support as best they can.
Here, we look the options available to skipper Joe Root, the England selectors and coach Trevor Bayliss should they seek to freshen things up in Victoria.
TOM CURRAN OR JAKE BALL TO COME IN FOR INJURED CRAIG OVERTON
A hairline fracture to Overton’s left rib threatens to rule him out of Melbourne – but the 23-year-old paceman is a gutsy cricketer so his chances of playing shouldn’t necessarily be dismissed. Indeed, the injury first surfaced in the second Test at Adelaide after he was struck by a Pat Cummins bouncer and then he aggravated the problem whilst diving to his left to take a catch off his own bowling in Perth.
The Somerset man has shown plenty of fight with the ball and has six wickets to his name in this series – one more than Stuart Broad – and offers something a bit different. Let’s not forget he also made a handy 41* in Adelaide with the bat and has a first-class ton to his name.
However, if injury does prevent him from playing the fourth Test – expect either Tom Curran to be given his debut or Jake Ball recalled in his place. Curran, a South African-born quick who has impressed in T20I cricket having made his international bow last summer, can generate genuine pace but is inexperienced. Aside from grabbing five wickets in Perth in an England XI warm-up game, he’s had precious little time in the middle. That said, the England selectors like the look of the Surrey bowler and he could get the nod ahead of Ball who struggled in the first Test in Brisbane and went wicketless in the same tour match as mentioned previously.
Overton has shown some promise with the ball.
The school of thought was Mark Wood could provide that extra spark but he reportedly won’t be added to the squad although he is set to train with England in Melbourne and Sydney, after completing his Lions commitments and with one-day cricket on the horizon in January.
Therefore, it is likely to be a straight shoot-out between Curran and Ball as to who replaces Overton if he fails a fitness test. We should, however, not completely dismiss the notion of England making a double change in playing both of the aforementioned in place of Overton and the out-of-form Stuart Broad. It does seem unthinkable to drop England’s second-highest Test wicket-taker of all time but the 31-year-old has been made one of the scapegoats and went wicketless for 142 runs at the WACA. But, given his experience, class and pedigree, it’s unlikely he’ll be ousted from the team.
Broad has had little impact on the series.
COULD MASON CRANE MAKE HIS TEST DEBUT?
Including England’s talented young leg-spinner in the fourth Test XI would be something of a wildcard option, given his inexperience and the fact he just hasn’t bowled a great deal of overs over the past few weeks. That said, why take a 20-year-old on tour if you have no intention of playing him whatsoever? It’s possible England could field a seam attack of James Anderson, Broad and Chris Woakes and include Crane in place of an injured Overton. While the Melbourne wicket can provide decent turn later in the game, as we saw from Shane Warne for all those years, England may play it safe and go like-for-like, a seamer for a seamer.
It would be a big ask to parachute Hampshire star Crane into the first XI fold in front of 90,000 Australians on December 26 but he shown plenty of ability in his short career to date. In a similar scenario to Broad, could England drop another out-of-form star; Moeen Ali, and bring in Crane instead? Moeen has averaged 19 with the bat and 109 with the ball after the first three Tests – and in general – looked completely out of sorts.
It’s a possibility England could trade spin for spin and the Three Lions are crying out for a specialist one, but again, Moeen is more than likely to be given at least this game to make an impact.
One for the future: Crane (left) alongside captain Root.
AND WHAT FOR ALASTAIR COOK?
Nathan Lyon was criticised in some quarters for saying that he hoped he could “end England careers” during this Ashes but his words are starting to ring true.
For Alastair Cook, England’s highest Test run-scorer who turns 33 on Christmas Day and has only managed 83 runs at 13.83 in the series, the microscope is firmly on him. The signs are that Cook is struggling both mentally and technically and is under increasing pressure, with insiders suggesting he may call it a day after the tour.
Given England haven’t really got anyone to bring in in place of him, expect the left-hander to try and grind it out in Melbourne and show critics why he has over 11,000 runs to his name.
On top of Lyon’s pre-Ashes comments and if the 5-0 Ashes campaign of 2013-14 is anything to go – this could be the last time we see several of England’s experienced stars in Test whites.
