Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has warned the Aussie side to be prepared for a major tactical change in England’s batting order ahead of the Manchester Test which kicks off on July 19. Headingley, who stopped the visitor’s winning run in the 2023 Ashes.
The England side’s sensational performance came after back-to-back defeats in the first two games. While it was a collective effort by the hosts that helped them stay alive in the five-match series, Highlight Wood And Harry Beck played a major role in their team’s victory. Wood took seven overall wickets in two innings, while Brook topped with a brilliant 75 runs in the fourth innings for England.
The Third Test not only marked an epic comeback for the England side, but also brought many positives for them. However, it also revealed a problem in the Three Lions’ batting order, which was the failure to find a suitable number. 3 despite promoting Brook and Mun Ali up the order. Veteran Aussie cricketer Ponting has now predicted a bold change in England’s batting order and also named the batsman who could bat in third position for the hosts in the Manchester Test.
Speaking on the ICC Review show, Ponting started by saying England would look to go with the winning team and not opt for any change. He calculated that further Ben Stokes is best suited for the No. 3 batting position, and England could send him down the rank.
“I actually thought Ben Stokes might have beaten himself to number three in Headingley when I realized Pope was out and Moeen and Woakes came back in. To me he has the technique to survive at the top and Moeen doesn’t. We saw that in the second innings. I’m not sure if Harry Brook will ever be a top class batsman. I think he’s always going to be a four, five, or six type of hitter with the way he plays. Ponting said.
“I thought the opportunity was there for Ben because he spent a lot of time at Stokes and you know this isn’t aimed at him at all because he’s a great player but he has to come in a lot and play a Mr Fix.” -It’s a roll if it’s almost kind of a damage control where I’ve always felt if he hit on number 3, he could stop some of that damage with the technique he has,” he added.
The 48-year-old even warned Australia to be ready for a change, stating: “And the fact that he probably won’t bowl if they come in with the same bowling attack, he probably won’t bowl in the Test match, so it gives him a chance to be fresher to improve the order. So that would be something I would think about if I were England and certainly something Australia should be ready for.
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