England could make big changes ahead of the must-win Ashes Test at Headingley

Trailing Australia 2-0 in the Ashes series, England have a lot to work on ahead of the third Test at Headingley. England have been good in bits and pieces, but Australia have been good. Hence, the hosts can look at some major changes to win this match. Unfortunately, England will be without the services of Ollie Pope, who has been ruled out of the rest of the series due to a shoulder injury. This absence has created a vacancy at number three in the batting order.

Dan Lawrence has been included in the squad and there are rumors of him being included in the playing XI. However, Harry Brook could be bumped up the order to take the spot.

Brook has established himself as an aggressive batsman, known for his counter-punching style, and has already achieved notable success in his youth Test career. With four centuries and 950 runs in just 15 innings, a half-century in the first innings at Headingley would propel him to the distinction of being the fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs in the 21st century.

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Another viable option could be to promote Root to No.3 and move the rest of the batting order up a slot. However, Brendon McCullum is keen to stick with Root at No.4.

Moeen Ali is expected to return after recovering from a finger injury sustained in the first Test. He can bat at number seven, while Jonny Bairstow can move up one position in the batting order.

Debate over England’s wicketkeeper

Ben Foakes is the best wicket-keeper in England and there is talk of his inclusion and playing Jonny Bairstow as a regular batsman. Bairstow is not looking secure as a wicket-keeper and with Fox taking over the job, Bairstow could play as a middle-order batsman.

James Anderson may be dropped

James Anderson has not been able to fit himself in the first two Tests and England can replace him with Mark Wood on the bench. Wood will bring a lot of pace and bounce and will be used to accelerate the Australian batting line-up.

Chris Woakes could also replace Josh Tongue, who made an impressive debut in the Ashes but does not have the same level of experience. England’s pace attack has lacked real pace in the first two Tests and Mark Wood could be a good option.