England make four changes for Melbourne Test

Anything other than a win for the tourists in the third Test of the series will see Australia retain the urn

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England have made four changes ahead of the third Ashes Test in Melbourne, with Zak Crawley replacing Rory Burns at the top of the order.

It was anticipated that the tourists could make several alterations as they seek a way back into the series following defeats at Brisbane and Adelaide, and that situation has come to pass.

Ollie Pope has also been left out of England's top six, with Jonny Bairstow returning at a venue where he has twice played on previous Ashes tours.

After Joe Root criticised the lengths bowled by his seamers in the pink-ball Test last week, Mark Wood and Jack Leach have both been added at the expense of Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad.

Leach was left out at Adelaide after Australia's predominantly left-handed batting line-up took a liking to the left-arm spinner in Brisbane, despite the surface for the day-night match offering significant turn and bounce. Nathan Lyon claimed five wickets across both innings, while England resorted to the leg-spin of Dawid Malan and the off-spin of Root and seamer Ollie Robinson in the absence of a frontline spin option.

After the 275-run defeat, however, England head coach Chris Silverwood insisted that he did not regret his selections and "would pick the same team again".

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Ollie Pope has been left out after struggling in the first two Tests (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Wood, meanwhile, caused significant issues for Australia's batters at Brisbane, bowling with hostility and repeatedly passing the outside edge. Among his three wickets were Steve Smith and centurion Travis Head. The Durham fast bowler was always likely to be managed through the series, especially after the injury losses of Jofra Archer and Olly Stone reduced England's pace stocks.

He comes in for Woakes, who after four innings each is one of only three England players to have passed 100 runs in the series.

He was tipped beforehand by Darren Gough, who worked with Woakes two winters ago as a bowling consultant when the Warwickshire allrounder impressed in New Zealand, to be key to England's chances. But he has taken just three wickets in two games, with only Lyon, Robinson and Mitchell Starc having bowled more overs.

Crawley's inclusion was always likely at some point in the series once he was picked in the squad, given his versatility across England’s top three. Although he has averaged just 11.14 in seven Tests in 2021, it has long been suggested that the Kent batter would have the game to succeed in Australia, such are his height and ability to get on top of the bounce.

At varying points in the last week, there have been rumours that he might slot in ahead of either Burns or Haseeb Hameed, neither of whom have found life easy against Australia's seamers.

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Zak Crawley returns after being dropped during the summer (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

It is Burns, though, the senior opener – having played 31 Tests to date – who makes way. He is joined on the sidelines by Pope, his Surrey teammate, whose removal from the firing line England will hope has a similar effect to Root's on his first Ashes tour. He was left out four Tests into the 2013/14 whitewash but then returned against Sri Lanka for the first Test of the following summer and struck an unbeaten double hundred.

None of these changes have come as a surprise, and England are otherwise as expected ahead of five crucial days in Melbourne, with the Ashes on the line. Failure to win will see Pat Cummins' side retain the urn, while a win for the home side will end the series as a contest.

It has already been revealed that Cummins will return to the fold, having missed the win at Adelaide after being reported as a close Covid contact. Scott Boland, who has a tremendous record at the MCG, where he plays his state cricket for Victoria, is set to make his Test debut.

England: Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson

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