Having suffered heavy defeats in both Perth and Brisbane, England head to Adelaide needing a victory to maintain their hopes of winning the five-match series and regaining the Ashes.
The teams are preparing to do battle in Adelaide for the 34th time and the head-to-head favours Australia, who have won 19 of the previous 33 encounters.
England have managed nine victories at the venue, although their last success came back in December 2010 as part of a 3-1 series triumph.
There will be personnel changes for both sides as they gear up for another eagerly anticipated clash.
Selections
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Australia highest opening partnership in the match @ 8/11
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England Top Batter 1st Innings – Joe Root @ 11/4
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Australian top Wicket Taker 1st Innings – Pat Cummins @ 21/10
Aussie openers to build solid platform
England’s so-called ‘Bazball’ approach failed miserably in the first two Tests and it is hard to see them finding the massive improvement required to keep the series alive.
From a statistical perspective there is an opportunity for the tourists to turn things around.
However, they wasted their best chance when throwing away a winning position in the first Test and failed to take advantage of winning the toss in Brisbane, where batting conditions noticeably deteriorated as the game progressed.
England’s carefree and careless approach changed in the dying embers of the second Test when Ben Stokes and Will Jacks dug in to put on 96 for the seventh wicket of their second innings.
But their disciplined approach came far too late to seriously challenge Australia’s stranglehold on the game.
The Baggy Green were prepared to bat sensibly at the start of their first innings with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald putting on 77 for the first wicket and their patient approach contrasted sharply with England, who were reduced to 5-2 within 15 balls.
England’s openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, are showing no signs of being willing or able to play in a more circumspect fashion and their lack of caution makes it a no-brainer to back Australia to register the highest opening partnership in the third Test.
Tip 1: Australia highest opening partnership in the match @ 8/11
Root to lead the way once again
England’s main source of hope is Joe Root, who showed his class with a superb first innings 138 in Brisbane when many of his team-mates were throwing away their wickets.
Root took advantage of the best batting conditions of the match by reducing risk and forcing the Australian bowlers to bowl a straighter line.
He faces a trickier challenge in the third Test against an Australia attack reinforced by returning skipper Pat Cummins and also ace off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
However, Root is sure to be boosted by scoring a first century Down Under and he looks a solid wager to make another major contribution.
Tip 2: England Top Batter 1st Innings – Joe Root @ 11/4
Fit-again Cummins eager to complete the job
Cummins has watched his team-mates put Australia in a commanding position, but he will be determined to make a mark on the series and deliver a captain’s performance by taking the most English first innings wickets.
There were rumours of Cummins being in contention to feature at the Gabba, but the decision was taken to err on the side of caution.
He should be fully fit and eager to make an impact and his skilful new ball bowling will only add to the problems for England’s batters, who, with the exception of Root and Stokes, have lacked the necessary ability and concentration to offer up substantial resistance.
Cummins was the leading wicket-taker in the last home series against England, claiming 21 victims, and he should be ready to make his mark.
Tip 3: Australian top Wicket Taker 1st Innings – Pat Cummins @ 21/10
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- Source: https://blog.betway.com/cricket/the-ashes-tips-best-bets-for-the-third-test/
