England have made one change to their line-up for the third Ashes Test, with Josh Tongue coming in as a like-for-like replacement for Gus Atkinson in the bowling attack.
Seamer Atkinson failed to take a wicket in the series opener in Perth, although he did make a useful 37 runs with the bat in the second innings, before returning figures of 3-151 in the second Test in Brisbane.
England lost both matches by eight wickets and will relinquish all hopes of regaining the Ashes if they are unable to win the third Test, which begins at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.
Right-arm quick Tongue has taken 31 wickets in six Tests at an average of 30 and took five wickets in his only previous Test against Australia at Lord’s in 2023.
Despite most of England’s batters failing to fire in the series so far, the selectors resisted the urge to make any changes in personnel or positions.
Harry Brook, who has contributed 98 runs to England’s cause over four innings so far, admitted he might need to curb his aggressive instincts a little bit in Adelaide.
Coach Brendon McCullum insisted on Sunday that England’s aggressive style of batting will not change despite heavy defeats in the first two Tests, but Brook conceded two of his dismissals in Perth and Brisbane were the result of “shocking shots” that he would reconsider if he had his time again.
“I’ll admit that every day of the week, especially that one in Perth, it’s nearly a bouncer and I’ve tried to drive it. It was just bad batting,” he said on Monday at Adelaide Oval, where the third Test starts on Wednesday.
“The one in Brisbane, I’ve tried to hit for six so that’s what I mean when I say that I need to rein it in a little bit. I can almost just take that and hit it for one and get down the other end.
“I’ll be the first person to stand up and say that they were bad shots. I don’t regret them, but if I was there again, I’d try and play it slightly differently.”
With Australia able to clinch the series and retain the Ashes in Adelaide, vice-captain Brook said the England players had discussed trying to “be in the moment” more and not look too far ahead.
Brook paid tribute to the skill and discipline of the Australian bowlers and said the England players also needed to stand up and be counted in crunch moments if they were to avoid going 3-0 down in the five-match series.
“There’s them pressure situations, which we haven’t been really that good at so far,” he said. “When we’re head-to-head, they’ve managed to be the better side and sneak in front. And everybody realises that.
“We’ve just got to stand up in them certain situations, read the game slightly better [and] just have a little bit of grit and determination about you.”
As England’s star batter, Brook has come in for criticism after the two Test losses but the 26-year-old said he was concentrating only on trying to score runs.
“I don’t read any of them criticisms, I just try and crack on with my game and focus on what I’m trying to do,” he said. “These are the moments that you want to turn up in, and you want to be the man that takes the game away from them and puts them in a tough position.
“So hopefully I can turn up, stick to my processes and stay in the moment as much as possible. And what will be will be.”
England team: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
