Bairstow in, Ballance out as England shuffle top order for third Ashes test
England suffered a 405-run thrashing by Australia in the second test at Lord’s on Sunday as the tourists levelled the five-match series 1-1
Jonny Bairstow has replaced Yorkshire team-mate Gary Ballance in a 13-man England squad announced Tuesday for the third Ashes test at Edgbaston starting on July 29.
England suffered a 405-run thrashing by Australia in the second test at Lord’s on Sunday as the tourists levelled the five-match series 1-1.
At Lord’s, England humiliating second-innings collapse to 103 all out saw them lose their first three wickets for 52 or fewer runs for the eighth time in seven Tests.
At least one change to the top order was all but inevitable in such circumstances and number three Ballance, out for 23 and 14 at Lord’s, has been omitted.
The left-hander did make a valuable 61 in the first innings of the first Ashes test in Cardiff, helping Joe Root, another Yorkshire colleague, add 163 after England had slumped to 43 for three in a match their side won by 169 runs to go 1-0 up.
