Section:GDN 1N PaGe:44 Edition Date:190730 Edition:03 Zone: Sent at 30/7/2019 0:15 cYanmaGentaYellowbl
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The Guardian
Tuesday 30 July 2019
Joe Root could return to the No 3 spot
for the fi rst Ashes Test at Edgbaston
to shore up England’s struggling top
order. On a day in which Australia’s
David Warner was struck by Michael
Neser in the nets – a bruised thigh
that is unlikely to aff ect the opener’s
chances of playing on Thursday – it
emerged that England are considering
a late change to their batting line-up.
It is understood Root spoke
about moving up one place from his
preferred No 4 spot with the team
management during last week’s vic-
tory over Ireland – a match that saw
England bowled out for 85 in the fi rst
innings and the tail-ender Jack Leach
top-score in the second with 92 after
coming in as a nightwatchman opener.
Trevor Bayliss will doubtless
have been receptive to Root’s off er,
having long maintained it should be
the position for the team’s leading
batsman to impose himself on the
opposition bowlers.
Root averages 48 from 60 innings
at No 4 – compared with 40 from 40
innings at fi rst drop – and returned
there at the end of the India series last
summer. He believes it allows him
additional time to clear his mind for
batting after captaining in the fi eld.
England’s perennial top-three headache
has been made harder by Alastair Cook’s
international retirement, with seven
frontline batsmen be ing deployed in
those positions in the seven Tests since.
Root now appears to accept his prowess
is once again required higher up.
Ali Martin
The 28-year-old’s career-best score
of 254 against Pakistan in 2016 came
at No 3 but batting so high in England
has proved trickier since, with the
Duke ball in 2017 and 2018 doing
plenty for the opening bowlers owing
to its pronounced seam. England,
keen to assist their bowlers, ordered
a repeat batch for this summer’s Tests
too.
Joe Denly is the likeliest to move
down to No 4, meaning Jason Roy will
continue to open alongside Rory Burns.
While the reshuffl e shows England’s
batting uncertainty , their bowling
attack should at least be bolstered by
the return of Jimmy Anderson.
The country’s record Test wicket-
taker was one of three England players
at voluntary nets yester day, along
with Jos Buttler and Stuart Broad,
and bowled six overs seem-
ingly unaff ected by the calf
Come in No 3?
Root ready to move up
but Warner takes blow
Joe Root’s
career -best score
of 254 came
when batting
at No 3 against
Pakistan in 2016
JULIAN FINNEY/GETTY
Ashes coverage Pages 41-43
▲ Australia’s David Warner suff ered
a bruised thigh in the nets at Edgbaston
RYAN PIERSE/GETTY IMAGES
Bleak future
Bale dismayed
by Real Madrid’s
refusal to allow
move to China
Riding high
How Brailsford
pulled off his
latest Tour
miracle
Page 36 Page 40
ss
43
Bury on brink
EFL suspends
Shakers’ match
but Bolton get
PFA lifeline
Page 40
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