England ponders mass changes amid Ashes carnage

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England volition reportedly marque arsenic galore arsenic 4 changes to its broadside for the Boxing Day Test astatine the MCG, arsenic the visitors' hopes of regaining the Ashes gaffe away.

Already trailing 2-0 and needing to triumph each 3 remaining matches to regain the urn, Joe Root's broadside could look importantly antithetic successful Melbourne.

The Evening Standard reports Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Jack Leach are each being considered for the 3rd Test.

Crawley is apt to unfastened the batting, though it's not wide who helium would replace, fixed some Rory Burns (51 runs astatine an mean of 12.75) and Haseeb Hameed (58 astatine 14.50) person struggled truthful far.

It's been a fearfulness twelvemonth for England opening batters, who person recorded nary little than 13 ducks successful Test cricket successful 2021. Burns has been retired without scoring connected six occasions, a grounds for an opener.

Whether Crawley is the reply remains to beryllium seen, fixed helium hasn't played a archetypal people lucifer since September, and his 15 Test matches to day person seen him mean conscionable 28.34, a fig boosted substantially by his lone period - 267 against Pakistan past year.

Of the different changes, Bairstow is successful contention to regenerate Ollie Pope successful the mediate order, portion Wood and Leach would diagnostic successful a revamped bowling attack.

Australian manager Justin Langer this greeting confirmed under-pressure opener Marcus Harris would play astatine the MCG, contempt a disappointing bid truthful far.

Harris has made conscionable 38 runs successful the 2 matches, and with an mean of 22.19 from 12 Tests helium indispensable beryllium adjacent to his last chance.

"He'll play, nary worries," Langer said.

"This is his location ground, he's played a batch astatine the MCG.

"He hasn't made the runs he'd similar to truthful far, but helium dominates home cricket, helium knows however to play. He's a fantastic bloke astir the squad, he's got a bully consciousness of humour, helium brings bully vigor to the team, and we cognize he's a precise bully player.

"For him, and for us, we're hoping helium plays well."

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