England’s thrilling three-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley on Sunday kept the Ashes alive, with Ben Stokes’s men now just 2-1 behind with two Tests to play.
But both England and Australia face selection dilemmas heading into next week’s fourth Test at Old Trafford, with history against the hosts in their bid to regain the Ashes.
AFP Sport looks at some of the major issues at this stage of a fascinating series:
Bairstow struggling behind the stumps
England dropped Ben Foakes ahead of the Ashes, despite having previously insisted the Surrey man was the world’s best wicketkeeper, in order to accommodate the returning Jonny Bairstow.
Bairstow was the standout performer at the start of England’s ‘Bazball’ era, scoring over 1,000 runs, including six hundreds, in 10 Tests last year.
His movement behind the stumps in the Ashes, however, appears to have been affected by the broken leg that sidelined him for nine months, with Bairstow dropping seven catches and missing a stumping in a series where he is also averaging a modest 23.50 with the bat.
But England coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have made few selection errors since joining forces last year and they may well keep faith with Bairstow.
England must also decide whether to recall James Anderson on his Old Trafford home ground after the veteran paceman, 41 later this month, was rested at Headingley after taking just three wickets, at more than 75 apiece, across the opening two matches.
Chris Woakes, his stand-in at Leeds, took six wickets and also made a priceless 32 not out that helped seal England’s victory.
Anderson’s 688 wickets are the most by any fast bowler in Test history and he could come straight back into the side if seamer Ollie Robinson, reduced to a bit-part role at Headingley by a back spasm, is deemed unfit.
Warner worry for Australia
Australia opener David Warner has signalled his intention to retire from Test cricket against Pakistan on his Sydney home ground next year.
But the 36-year-old left-hander may not bow out on his own terms after another double failure against his England nemesis Stuart Broad at Headingley.
Warner scored just four and one at Leeds, falling to Broad on both occasions, with the paceman now having dismissed him 17 times in Tests.
Marcus Harris is the reserve batsman in the squad, but Australia could also drop Warner and rejig their batting line-up by retaining Mitchell Marsh and recalling Cameron Green.
Marsh scored a fine 118 at Headingley in his first Test since 2019 after being called up as injury cover for Green.
England aim to emulate Bradman’s men
England are trying to equal a record that has stood for 86 years by becoming just the second team to win an Ashes from 2-0 down.
Australia were 2-0 behind in the 1936/37 Ashes, but in the New Year’s Test at Melbourne, home captain Don Bradman found his form with an innings of 270 as the hosts won by 365 runs.
He then made 212 and 169 as Australia triumphed by 148 runs and an innings and 200 runs at Adelaide and Melbourne — which staged two Tests in the series — respectively to complete their comeback.
Bradman’s career Test batting average of 99.94 remains one of sport’s great unassailable landmarks, with no one coming close to that imposing figure since his retirement in 1948.
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