The Ashes 2023: England pick Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali for third Test
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Men's Ashes: England v Australia |
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Venue: Headingley Date: Thursday, 6 July Time: 11:00 BST |
Coverage: Live text commentary and in-play video clips on the BBC Sport website & app, plus BBC Test Match Special on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. Daily Today at the Test highlights on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 19:00 BST. |
England have made three changes for the third Ashes Test, bringing in Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali.
Ollie Pope has been ruled out of the series but England have opted against replacing him with Dan Lawrence, the spare batter in their squad.
Instead, Harry Brook moves up to number three with all-rounders Woakes and Moeen added to bolster the lower order.
Wood joins Woakes, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson in the pace attack with Josh Tongue and James Anderson rested.
The Test begins at Headingley on Thursday with England needing to win to prevent Australia retaining the Ashes.
England team: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson.
Wood, who will provide a high-pace option, missed the first two Tests with a series of niggles.
He will play his first Test since England's tour of Pakistan last winter, while Woakes features for the first time since March 2022 - before captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge.
In a further change Jonny Bairstow will also move from number seven to number five.
Yorkshire's Brook has not batted higher than number five in his nine Tests to date. He has batted at three 13 times for his county, most recently in 2018.
Stokes said England's second-Test defeat last week, in which he bowled a continuous 12-over spell, "took a lot out of him" and his ability to bowl was a factor in his decision to pick an extra bowling option.
"I had to think about what the game would look like if I didn't bowl any overs," Stokes said.
"Last week, I am not going to lie, it did take it out of me.
"That is not to say I am not going to bowl, when the game is on the line things might change, but it was a tough week last week."
Time to 'move on' from Bairstow dismissal - Stokes
The fallout from Bairstow's controversial dismissal has overshadowed the Lord's Test. For the first time in the series' history, England now need to come from 2-0 behind to win an Ashes.
Stokes said it was time to "move on" from the incident and played down using the anger evident on the final day to inspire his side.
"The more we talk about it the less emphasis on the rest of the series," Stokes said.
"The message is 'we know what we have to do as a team and do whatever you have to do, feel however you have to feel to get the best out of yourself'.
"The best thing to do from our camp, and probably Australia, is shut it down and move on - concentrate on the cricket.
"I don't think we can be any more galvanised than we are."
I'd do the same thing again - Cummins
Australia captain Pat Cummins said he would do the same thing again, if the opportunity to dismiss an England batter in a similar fashion arose at Headingley.
While England have been branded "cry-babies" in the Australia press, some have questioned whether Australia's stumping held up when considering the spirit of the game.
"It doesn't really bother me," said Cummins, whose side would seal a first Ashes series win in England in 2001 with victory in Leeds.
"I think the way our team's conducted themselves over the last couple of years has been flawless really. We've been fantastic and I think that showed again on day five at Lord's."
Cummins opted not to name his side at his press conference but did confirm off-spinner Todd Murphy would replace the injured Nathan Lyon.
Murphy has played four Tests - all in India earlier this year - and took 7-124 on debut.
Seamer Scott Boland is likely to come into contention, given the three-day turnaround between Tests, with Josh Hazlewood the most obvious seamer to be rested.
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