Australia are set to drop opener Cameron Bancroft for Marcus Harris in the third Ashes Test against England at Headingley that gets underway on Thursday.
Harris is set to be one of three changes to the Australia playing XI from the drawn Lord’s Test according to report by the Daily Telegraph. Marnus Labuschagne will replace the concussed Steve Smith for the clash while pacer James Pattinson is set to make a return at the expense of Peter Siddle.
Bancroft has struggled in the two Ashes Tests so far along with his opening partner David Warner with the pair aggregating the mere 62 runs between themselves. Bancroft himself has accounted for just 44 runs with the right-hander yet to cross the 20-run mark in any of his innings in the series.
He will be replaced by Harris who finished as the top run-getter in the Sheffield Shield 2018-19 season with nearly 1,200 runs to his name and has made six Test appearances for Australia previously.
JUST IN: A change at the top of the order for Australia in the third #Ashes Test, say reports: https://t.co/LORLeIAlZw pic.twitter.com/CRf9KnLZBJ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 22, 2019
Harris’ batting average in those six clashes is 32.70 with the left-hander managing to register two half-centuries in the process.
Meanwhile, Labuschagne was already expected to keep his spot in the side following his gritty knock of 59 in the second innings at Lord’s after becoming the first official concussion substitute in Test cricket.
Australia are set to go in with a three-man pace attack at Leeds with Pattinson set to partner Pat Cummins with the new-ball once again. Josh Hazlewood is expected to retain his place from the second Test while Mitchell Starc’s wait to get an outing in the series is set to be prolonged.
Australia lead the five-match series by 1-0 and need to register just one win in the three remaining Tests to retain the historic urn.
