Four decisions for England before third Ashes Test

England has reached a critical juncture in this Ashes series.

Trailing 2-0 within just six days of action across two Tests, England is compelled to secure victory in Adelaide to rekindle any chances of claiming the urn for the first time since 2015.

The visiting team is continuing to unwind during their hiatus in Noosa and will resume training on Sunday.

Here are some potential avenues to consider for triggering a comeback at the Adelaide Oval when the third Test commences on Wednesday (23:30 GMT Tuesday).

An overhaul of the bowling lineup is nearly inevitable.

Despite discussions surrounding England assembling their most aggressive group of fast bowlers for an Ashes tour since 1970, the pace attack has not delivered. The anticipation from an electrifying display on the first day of the initial Test in Perth has faded away.

To compound the disappointment, Mark Wood will soon be heading back home.

Had Wood not been cleared for the first Test, Josh Tongue would likely have benefitted and he ought to be brought into the series in Adelaide.

Tongue has the potential for an erratic performance – as seen during the fifth Test against India at The Oval – yet he is also a highly aggressive bowler.

In his sole Ashes Test, at Lord’s in 2023, he dismissed Steve Smith in both innings. His ability to finish off the tail – earning him the nickname ‘The Mop’ – would have been quite useful as England faced challenges against the Australia lower order in Brisbane.

Though the sample size is small, among all England bowlers with a minimum of 30 Test wickets, only three have a superior strike-rate compared to Tongue’s 44.1. They include George Lohmann (last Test 1896), the legendary Sydney Barnes (1914), and Tongue’s current teammate Gus Atkinson.

Atkinson has faced a challenging first pair of Tests. Wicketless in Perth, his series tally of 3-236 is propped up by two dismissals when the Brisbane Test was almost decided. A reserved individual, he finds himself amongst several England players who appear to be faltering in the intense Ashes environment.

Brydon Carse was not at his best at the Gabba, yet he remains England’s top wicket-taker. Jofra Archer serves as England’s leading bowler, and captain Ben Stokes must push for the kind of intensity he showcased at the conclusion of the day-night Test.

The most probable adjustment is swapping Tongue for Atkinson.

From what appeared to be a likely alteration to an unexpected one, concerning an area of the England side that’s concerning.

Jamie Smith’s dramatic downturn in form has been remarkable. Following his 12th Test, where he scored an impressive 184 not out against India at Edgbaston, his batting average was 58.64.

There was anticipation that England had discovered the next Adam Gilchrist. However, of late, they might have fared better with Adam Sandler.

Smith’s highest score in the last eight Test innings stands at 33. He has been dismissed for single-digit scores on six occasions. Behind the stumps, he has appeared sluggish, missing a vital catch and failing to attempt for another in Brisbane.

It’s worth pondering a pivotal moment for England that transpired a year ago during nets in Queenstown, New Zealand, when a throw from assistant coach Jeetan Patel broke Jordan Cox’s thumb.

At that moment, Cox served as England’s backup keeper and reserve batsman. If he had performed well in New Zealand, there might have existed a scenario where Cox took the gloves full-time and Smith focused solely on batting.

Instead, Jacob Bethell seized the opportunity to ascend the ranks. Cox’s versatility is currently absent from the England squad.

Indications suggest England will retain Smith. Head coach Brendon McCullum alluded to this when he noted that the shorter square boundaries in Adelaide will favor Smith’s pull and hook shots.

Should England decide to shelter Smith from the firing line, the only alternative would be to assign the gloves to Ollie Pope, though Pope has his own challenges…

Speaking of pivotal moments, numerous side stories regarding the England number-three spot resemble a narrative worthy of a Tolkien epic.

One could argue Pope might not still hold England’s first drop position if he hadn’t dislocated his shoulder after two Tests during the last Ashes, delivered a legendary innings to secure the first Test against India in 2024, or tallied a century against Zimbabwe in May.

Despite seeming to hold Bethell in high regard following his breakthrough tour to New Zealand, England never opted for a prolonged elevation to the Test side.

As Bethell has lingered on the periphery, his career has stagnated – he has yet to achieve a first-class hundred. Meanwhile, Pope has been under relentless scrutiny, a situation aggravated by the removal of his vice-captaincy. Consequently, England finds themselves no wiser regarding either player than they were a year prior.

In fairness to Pope, he ranks as England’s third-highest run-scorer in the series thus far, albeit with a low threshold. In three out of his four innings, he has made promising starts but found himself out each time.

Will England retain him for the most significant match of the Bazball era? Will they finally make a choice that has long seemed inevitable?

And if Pope is left out, will England have the courage to gamble on Bethell, or on one of the few players who has bolstered his reputation while in Australia?

Will Jacks emerged as the most unexpected addition to England’s 16-man squad, seemingly selected with the pink-ball Test in mind – to bolster the batting and potentially bowl off-breaks if necessary.

Prior to the Brisbane Test, Ben Stokes indicated that Shoaib Bashir remains England’s preferred spinner. Stokes has also stated in the past that Ben Foakes is the top wicketkeeper globally.

While Jacks is not considered a primary Test spinner, he may have demonstrated sufficient ability in Brisbane to warrant staying in the squad. He fought hard with the bat in the second innings and made an impressive catch to dismiss Steve Smith.

The notion that Jacks could bat in the top three is likely unrealistic. Should England decide to drop Pope, the more astute option would be to include Bethell. This sets up a dilemma between Jacks and Bashir.

Bashir has been nurtured in Test cricket with this tour as the objective. There now exists a genuine concern that England might not be able to select him for it.

Bashir’s most notable achievement in his England career so far was taking the wicket that secured a riveting third Test against India in July. He accomplished this feat with a broken finger that had sidelined him for four months. Since his return, his aggregate in tour matches in Australia is 2-266.

Spin will likely be a crucial factor in Adelaide. Australia can rely on Nathan Lyon’s 562 Test wickets, while either of England’s choices are both significant risks.

Overall, it seems Jacks is the preferable option.