England's decision to continue with an unchanged batting lineup for the Adelaide Test against Australia has raised eyebrows among cricket fans. At 2-0 down after only six days of cricket across two Tests, England must win in Adelaide to revive any hope of lifting the urn for the first time since 2015.
Brendon McCullum's team is continuing to decompress on their break in Noosa and will return to training on Sunday. However, a refresh of the bowling attack is almost a given. For all the talk of England assembling their most hostile group of speedsters for an Ashes tour since 1970, the pace cartel has not fired.
The excitement of a thrilling display on the first day of the first Test in Perth has dissipated. To add to the disappointment, Mark Wood will soon be on the plane home. If Wood had not been passed fit for the first Test, Josh Tongue would have been the most likely beneficiary and Tongue should enter the series in Adelaide.
Tongue can be scattergun - as evident during the fifth Test against India at The Oval - but he is also a very attacking bowler. In his only Ashes Test, at Lord's in 2023, he removed Steve Smith in both innings. His knack of cleaning up the tail - his nickname is 'The Mop' - would have been very handy as England struggled against the Australia lower order in Brisbane.
If England do need to take Jamie Smith out of the firing line, the only option is to give the gloves to Ollie Pope, but Pope has problems on his own. Speaking of sliding-doors moments, there have been enough subplots to the England number-three position to fill a Tolkien novel.
It could be argued Pope might not still be England's incumbent first drop had he not dislocated his shoulder after two Tests of the last Ashes, pulled off an all-time epic knock to win the first Test against India in 2024 or scored a hundred against Zimbabwe in May. Despite seeming so high on Bethell after his breakout tour to New Zealand, England never pulled the trigger on a sustained promotion to the Test team.
As Bethell has hung around on the fringes, his career has stalled - he is still to score a first-class hundred. Meanwhile, Pope has been under constant pressure, not helped by having the vice-captaincy removed. The result is England know little more about either man than they did a year ago.
England's decision to keep Will Jacks for the Adelaide Test against Australia has also raised questions. Bashir has been hothoused in Test cricket with this tour in mind. Now there is the very real possibility England cannot pick him on it.
Brendon McCullum's team is continuing to decompress on their break in Noosa and will return to training on Sunday. However, a refresh of the bowling attack is almost a given. For all the talk of England assembling their most hostile group of speedsters for an Ashes tour since 1970, the pace cartel has not fired.
The excitement of a thrilling display on the first day of the first Test in Perth has dissipated. To add to the disappointment, Mark Wood will soon be on the plane home. If Wood had not been passed fit for the first Test, Josh Tongue would have been the most likely beneficiary and Tongue should enter the series in Adelaide.
Tongue can be scattergun - as evident during the fifth Test against India at The Oval - but he is also a very attacking bowler. In his only Ashes Test, at Lord's in 2023, he removed Steve Smith in both innings. His knack of cleaning up the tail - his nickname is 'The Mop' - would have been very handy as England struggled against the Australia lower order in Brisbane.
If England do need to take Jamie Smith out of the firing line, the only option is to give the gloves to Ollie Pope, but Pope has problems on his own. Speaking of sliding-doors moments, there have been enough subplots to the England number-three position to fill a Tolkien novel.
It could be argued Pope might not still be England's incumbent first drop had he not dislocated his shoulder after two Tests of the last Ashes, pulled off an all-time epic knock to win the first Test against India in 2024 or scored a hundred against Zimbabwe in May. Despite seeming so high on Bethell after his breakout tour to New Zealand, England never pulled the trigger on a sustained promotion to the Test team.
As Bethell has hung around on the fringes, his career has stalled - he is still to score a first-class hundred. Meanwhile, Pope has been under constant pressure, not helped by having the vice-captaincy removed. The result is England know little more about either man than they did a year ago.
England's decision to keep Will Jacks for the Adelaide Test against Australia has also raised questions. Bashir has been hothoused in Test cricket with this tour in mind. Now there is the very real possibility England cannot pick him on it.
. I'm not surprised that England's batting lineup remains unchanged, to be honest. They've been struggling to make any headway against Australia, and it's hard to see why they'd want to experiment now when things are going from bad to worse. Mark Wood's absence is especially big – he's been their most consistent bowler all series.
It's just a game, right? I mean, if England wants to stick with what they've got, that's their prerogative. They can't win everything, after all 
. And yeah, Mark Wood's injury is a bummer, but Tongue will be fine... he's no slouch on the pitch 
. But seriously, why make so much of it? The Ashes are about more than just one or two players 
. England needs to focus on what really matters: coming together as a team and executing their game plan 
. All this speculation about who's gonna play and who's not is just noise... let them get out there and show us what they're made of 
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, brendon mccullum's tactics are getting old, it's time for some new blood 
. Brendon McCullum's team is supposed to be all about gettin' the pace cartel fired up, but so far, it's been more like a damp squib 
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? Pope's been under so much pressure, you'd think they'd at least try somethin' different. And what's with Will Jacks? They're basically pushin' him out the door without even givin' him a chance to prove himself 
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. Maybe a mix of both experience and fresh legs would've been the way to go? 
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I was thinking they should've just played Tongue in his place, he seemed pretty decent against India at The Oval 
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. It's a shame 'cause I thought they had some decent pacesters this time around. We'll see what happens in Adelaide, fingers crossed for them 
England's batting lineup change might seem bold, but considering their 2-0 down situation, they gotta do something to spark some life! 
Here are the stats that made me think of this: 
His batting form isn't too shabby either – 40% of his first-class innings are above 30 
, especially with Mark Wood going home due to injury 
. Josh Tongue could be a game-changer as he had some decent performances against India & even removed Steve Smith in the Ashes last year 
23.4 overs bowled, 234 runs conceded... that's a rate of 9.89 per over 
England needs to bring in some fresh legs ASAP! 
Tongues' attacking style could be just what the doctor ordered 
But Pope has his own issues... 
England needs to figure out their number-three position ASAP! 
. Brendon mccullum needs to shake things up ASAP or else england might as well pack their bags for the urn 
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. Pope's struggles are real, though - I mean, who hasn't had their career stalled at some point? It's just crazy to think that Bethell was basically on the brink of getting promoted and then nothing happened... guess you could say he got stuck in limbo 
. And what's up with Jacks? He seems so promising but keeps getting passed over 
. Brendon McCullum's team is trying to revamp the pace cartel, but I don't think that's going to be enough to turn things around 
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. It's like they're not giving him a chance to prove himself 
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. The pressure on them must be intense, especially with the Ashes on the line 
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