sports desk9 hours ago
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Joffra Archer will not be able to play the last 2 Tests against Australia in Melbourne and Sydney.
England fast bowler Joffra Archer has been ruled out of the last 2 matches of the Ashes series. He was rested due to injury and workload management. England has also announced the playing-11 for the fourth Ashes Test starting on Boxing Day on 26 December. Apart from Archer, Ollie Pope is also out.
Home team Australia is leading 3-0 in the 5-Test series. After winning the first two matches by a margin of 8 wickets, the team won the third match by 82 runs. Mitchell Starc was elected Player of the Match twice and Alex Carey once. The fourth Test in Melbourne will start at 5 am Indian time.
Jacob Bethel will land at number-3 England gave Ben Duckett another chance despite his poor form. He will be seen opening with Jack Crowley. All-rounder Jacob Bethel will replace Ollie Pope at number-3. Gus Atkinson, Braydon Carse and Josh Tong will lead the fast bowling.
The English team once again did not include any specialist spinner in the playing-11. Apart from Bethel, off-spinner Will Jacques and Joe Root are the two part-time options of the team. Captain Ben Stokes is the fourth pacer of the team. Root, Harry Brook, Stokes and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith will handle the middle and lower middle order of the team.
Jacob Bethel will be seen batting at number 3.
Australia will field with 4 pacers Australia team will enter with 3 changes. Captain Pat Cummins will not be able to play the fourth match due to injury, in his place Jay Richardson can be a part of the playing-11. Steve Smith, who could not play the third test due to fever, will captain in Melbourne. He told in the press conference that the team will field with 4 fast bowlers.
The team will also go with a fast bowler in place of off-spinner Nathan Lyon who was injured in the third test. Australia has shortlisted 12 players for the fourth test, out of which only one player will remain on the bench. Only two pacers out of Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett and Richardson will get a chance.
Steve Smith said that Australia did not include the spinner in the playing-11.
Cameron Green will land at number 7 Australia will also go into the fourth Test with the opening pair of Travis Head and Jack Weatherald. Marnus Labuschagne and Smith will handle the middle order. Usman Khawaja, who scored a fifty in the Adelaide Test, will be at number 5, while Jose Inglis was dropped from the team. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey will be seen batting at number-6, while all-rounder Cameron Green will be seen batting at number-7.
Playing-11 of both the teams England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethel, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacques, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue.
Australia: Jack Wetherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson.
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