Ashes 2021-22: England make four changes for the Boxing Day Test, Jonny Bairstow returns

Joe Root’s England have made four changes as they named their playing eleven for the third Ashes Test, starting Sunday, December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Trailing the five-match series 0-2, the Three Lions have pressed the panic button to some extent in a bid to stage a comeback. The 275-run thrashing in the Day Night Adelaide Test has gotten the Brits on their toes.

Rory Burns, who has scored only 51 runs in the series at an average of 12.75, has made way for Zak Crawley. Haseeb Hameed hasn’t the best of campaigns either, but he managed to hold on to his spot in the eleven. Jonny Bairstow has returned to England’s playing eleven after missing the first two Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide. The veteran has replaced an out-of-form Ollie Pope.

England leave out Stuart Broad

Chris Woakes scored 105 runs at an average of 26.25 in the first two games, but having picked up only three wickets, he couldn’t quite hit his straps. He failed to stay put in his position along with Stuart Broad, England’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket after James Anderson. Broad didn’t play the Brisbane Test, but the speedster got a chance in Adelaide Test.

Woakes and Broad have been replaced by Jack Leach and Mark Wood. England went in with an all-pace attack for the Day Night Test, but the tactic didn’t quite work out as Australia scored 473 in their first innings. Nathan Lyon picked up five wickets in the same conditions to demonstrate that the pitch had something in it for the finger spinners as well.

England’s Playing XI

Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson.

Dawid Malan and Joe Root are currently the standout players for the visiting team in the series. Both have scored two half-centuries apiece, although their efforts couldn’t fetch England victories. However, Root has recently been criticised for not being able to lead the national team with precision.

After the loss in Adelaide, Root also came down hard on the bowlers for not bowling as per the playing conditions. Thereafter, Anderson said that the batters weren’t quite up to the mark.