AUS vs ENG: England's Predicted Playing XI vs Australia, Ashes 2021-22, 3rd Test

England Cricket Team has lacked application in all three departments of the game so far in the Ashes 2021-22 series. Joe Root and Co. have lost both the games they have played thus far in the series and currently trail by a margin of 2-0.

The third Test is scheduled to be played from 26^th to 30^th December 2021 at Melbourne Cricket Ground. One defeat can end their hopes of winning the series. This is the last chance for England to keep the series alive.

Ahead of the third Test against Australia, England have made four changes in their playing XI. Here’s a look at the playing XI of the England Cricket Team for the third Test against Australia.

AUS vs ENG: England’s Predicted Playing XI vs Australia, Ashes 2021-22, 3rd Test

Openers: Zack Crawley and Haseeb Hameed

Rory Burns didn’t look great in the Two Tests so far and has now been dropped for the third Test. In 2 Tests, he scored 51 runs at 12.75. His partner, Haseeb Hameed, however, has been retained.

He has 58 runs in 2 matches at 14.50. He will be batting with a new partner in Zack Crawley in the third Test. Zack Crawley averages 11.14 in seven Tests played this year.

Middle-Order: David Malan, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Jos Buttler (WK)

David Malan and Joe Root have been the two standout batsmen in the series so far. Root has 175 runs in 2 Tests, while Malan has 188 in as many Tests. Both have two fifties each but are yet to score a hundred. Jonny Bairstow has been included in the third Test in place of Ollie Pope. He will bring more experience in the unit.

Bairstow hasn’t been in the best of form in Test Cricket, of late. How he manages to play against a top-class Australia bowling line-up remains to be seen. Jos Buttler took some sensational catches in the last game and also dropped a couple of sitters as well. He showed great amount of resilience in the final innings and tried his best to save the Test. That knock would have given him some confidence going into the third Test of the series.

All-rounder: Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes played some mouth-watering shots in the second Test but couldn’t convert the starts into big scores. He amassed 34 and 12 in the second Test. The Englishman is a match-winner and needs to score the knocks that he is known for in the third Test to help England keep the series alive. Ben Stokes’ contribution is vital for England’s fortune for the rest of the series.

Bowlers: Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, and Jack Leach

Ollie Robinson has been the best bowler for England in the series thus far. He has 7 wickets to his name in 2 Tests. James Anderson asked some tough questions to Australia batsmen in the last Test.

He bowled great spells and created a lot of chances. However, he was unlucky as he couldn’t get a lot of wickets. To add variety in the bowling department, Jack Leach and Mark Wood have been added for the third Test.