Cricket Pundits Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting have suggested that Joe Root and England Team management need to think about making changes in their playing XI for the next Tests if they want to nullify Australian bowling attack in the ongoing Ashes series 2017-18.
England have crossed the 300-run mark only in their first innings of the Brisbane Test, since then they have been continuously struggling to find the rhythm, as they have posted 302, 195, 227, and 233 in their last four innings against the Australian side in the Ashes series.
Now, Joe Root-led England Team will be looking to put some great show in the Perth Test, starting from 14 December, for survival in Australia as they already trail 2-0 in the five-Test Ashes series.
So far, we saw the England batsmen have failed to counter the Australian pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins along with the devious off-spinner Nathan Lyon, and now once again they set to face them on one of the fastest pitches in the world at WACA. And Cricket Pundits believes England need to make some changes in their batting line-up for the Perth Test.
As per cricket.com.au, Michael Vaughan told reporters, “If I was England I’d jig the order. I’d put Vince to five, Malan to three. (Malan) bats at three for Middlesex so that’s a position he’s used to. He looks to me the kind of player that I don’t think he’s going to be over-aggressive but he’d fight to get rid of that new ball. It would allow Vince to bat a little more freely at five.”
The 2005-06 Ashes-winning England skipper further added, “He is a player that likes to play his strokes and against the Kookaburra new ball, particularly against the quality the Aussies have got you’ve got to fancy they create chances. Also, I’d have Jonny at six. Then you’ve got four, five and six all right-handers to nullify Nathan Lyon.”
Meanwhile, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting also agreed with Vaughan’s words, saying the defending champions need to think of changing their line-up for Perth Test if they want to stay alive in the five-match Test series against the relentless Australian side.
Ponting opined, “I think they’ll make a lot of changes for the next Test. They have to, because what they’ve done so far has not been competitive. Joe (Root) has a lot to think about and so does (coach) Trevor Bayliss and just a lot of their players. They’ve got to have a good look at themselves and work out how to be competitive in this series. You look at their batting. Stoneman has looked OK but he looks OK then gets out. Vince is a bit the same; they play a couple of nice shots but can’t sustain any kind of period of dominance over the bowlers and have a brain fade and play a bad shot.”
The cricketer-turned-commentator further suggests, “Malan has been the same, he’s occupied the crease but he never looks like he’s going to hurt you. And Moeen has looked ineffective with the ball and Nathan Lyon has got his measure. They’ve got a lot of areas of concern and I still don’t think their batting line-up is right. Even again today, Jonny Bairstow looks like their second or third best batsman, as far as I’m concerned, he’s batting at No.7 and with the gloves on.”
Ponting concluded by saying, “We hear a lot about (reserve ‘keeper) Ben Foakes being a good player so I wouldn’t be surprised if they move Bairstow up the order next week and bring Foakes into the side and maybe one of Vince or Malan misses.”
