Published: Aug 20, 2019, 09:47 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 20, 2019, 09:47 PM (IST)
Head coach Trevor Bayliss hints England may reconsider shuffling their top seven for the third Ashes 2019 Test at Headingly that begins on August 22 (Thursday).
The hosts retained their same 12-man squad following a hard-fought drawn encounter at Lord’s. However, concerns are around England’s batting order.
While Rory Burns has sealed his place at the top as England’s leading run-scorer with 266 runs – his partner Jason Roy – has been looked patchy. “Now that we’ve arrived here in Leeds, that’ll be a conversation we’ll have I’m sure,” Bayliss admitted.
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“We think we’ve got the best seven batters available to us at the moment in England… whether we can change it round and make that (order) any better, I’m not sure, but we’ll certainly have a discussion about it.
“I’m quite certain there’s one or two others in the right spot too and just because they’re not scoring runs doesn’t mean it’s not the right or wrong spot for them.”
Roy, who had a phenomenal ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, has failed to impress. He has scored just 45 runs in five knocks as an opener compared to an enterprising 72 in a solitary innings at number three.
Asked if Roy might be a more natural middle-order player against the red ball, Bayliss admitted: “Possibly. Personally, I think he probably is suited to the middle order, but we’ve selected him in the top of the order because of his form in the one-dayers and experience in the one-day team, playing international cricket.
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“At the start of his one-day career, he missed out a few times as well and it took him a little while to get the hang of it. So, the possibility of him playing again at the top of the order doesn’t really concern us. We know what he can do when he does play well.
“Obviously from his point of view, you’d have to ask him exactly how he’s feeling but it’s obviously not quite the same as opening the batting in a white-ball game.”
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England probably have the chance of making 1-1 at Leeds with Australia losing it’s main batsman Steve Smith, who has been ruled out. Marnus Labuschagne, Smith’s concussed substitute, helped his side save the Test with 59 and looks likely for the third Test.
“If you take out the best batter in the world it is probably (beneficial), but as his replacement showed in the last match, he’s more than capable,” said Bayliss.
“Win or lose, this Ashes is not going to get down to one player on either side. Yes, you’ve got your good players, the ones that do well, but it’s a team effort.”
