England could ring Boxing Day changes

Injuries and a desire to freshen up a losing team could see England make three changes for the Boxing Day Test.

The tourists are still coming to terms with surrendering the Magellan Ashes after just 15 days’ cricket in this series and a failure to arrest their poor form is likely to see them slip to a third 5-0 whitewash in Australia in 11 years.

It means coach Trevor Bayliss and captain Joe Root will be tempted to wield the axe and name a rejigged line-up when the fourth Magellan Ashes Test starts at the MCG on Tuesday.

Two of those changes could be enforced, with bowlers Craig Overton and Stuart Broad suffering from injury.

Broad’s figures of 0-142 in Perth were the worst of his Test career and it has been revealed the 31-year-old was managing a knee complaint in the run-up to that third Test that saw him have to have fluid drained from the joint before that match started.

England insist it did not affect his bowling workload, which means Broad may well be in danger of being dropped even if he is passed fit for Melbourne.

Overton’s fractured rib is more serious, with the 23-year-old seam bowler revealing that the injury he sustained at the WACA could result in a punctured lung if he was to fall heavily on it again.

"It’s a hairline fracture at the minute," he said. "That’s why I was making sure I didn’t dive too much on it, because then it could break properly and you could probably puncture a lung – which would make it a lot worse."

The Perth Test was just Overton’s second following his debut in Adelaide earlier this month and although he has had an encouraging start England are unlikely to risk him for Melbourne.

"The draw of playing in that game will be absolutely massive," said Overton. "But I think you’ve also got to be realistic."

Overton’s likely absence would see either Tom Curran or Jake Ball come into England’s team for the MCG.

Ball failed to impress when he took one wicket in his last Test at the Gabba. However, he is the senior bowler to the uncapped Curran and is most likely to come in if there is only one change to the seam attack.

Curran, 22, impressed in taking five wickets and scoring an unbeaten 77 with the bat during England’s recent tour match against a Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park in Perth.  

Indeed, England could be tempted to play him and Ball if Broad is dropped. Don’t rule it out.

The other selection issue that could complicate matters is Moeen Ali, who has been badly out form in this series. Moeen averages 19 with the bat and 105 with the ball after three Tests. Neither is good enough for him to retain his place in the team and he was dropped down the order to No.7 in Perth as wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow moved up a place.

England may decide they want a spinner for Melbourne, meaning leggie Mason Crane, who played a Sheffield Shield game for New South Wales last summer, is the better option.

That risks weakening the batting but England’s tail has been fragile in this series anyway and a recalibration of the lower order might not be a bad thing.

One option would be to pick Crane plus an extra batsman in either Ben Foakes or Gary Ballance.

If they took that option England would be forced to drop a seam bowler to fit in the extra batsman – likely to be Broad.

In this situation Foakes, England’s reserve keeper, would bat at No.7, Chris Woakes at eight, Tom Curran or Ball at nine, James Anderson at No.10 and then Crane at eleven.

It would seem a rather complicated way to address England’s various issues but at least it would present Australia with a different challenge to what they’ve faced so far in this series. 

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test Australia won by an innings and 41 runs. Scorecard

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21