The Ashes 2013: England preview – Third Test, Old Trafford

The fact that the Australians have remained unbeaten in their last five encounters at Manchester is a record that England will look to unsettle as the two teams lock horns in the third Test match commencing on Thursday.

While it remains a battle for survival for the visitors to negate the threat of seven straight losses, the English team will look to settle the matter conclusively at Old Trafford.

Now that Pietersen looks set to be fit in time for the match, everything seems to be, yet again, falling in place for England. Even if he is unable to recuperate, James Taylor has been called in as his stand-by. The fact that the Nottinghamshire batsman stroked a delightful century against the Australians in a tour game for Sussex a few days ago is sure to ease any nerves, which twitch at the mention of Pietersen.

The English batting looks in top nick save Cook who hasn’t had the greatest of Ashes yet. A lone fifty in an otherwise nondescript affair with the bat for Cook means that a big knock is due. Root, Bell, Trott, Bairstow – everyone has been contributing.

Panesar and Tremlett feature prominently in a 14-man squad that has been released, replacing Finn and Onions.

Manchester has been experiencing heavy rains, and the strip has been kept under cover. The ground is hosting its first Test since the playing square was rotated at right angles two years ago. The pitch is expected to remain bouncy and is expected to help spinners wreak havoc from day three onwards. In such a scenario, it remains to be seen whether Cook goes in with Tremlett to make the most of the bounce on offer, or he goes in with Panesar to bowl in tandem with Swann. Either way, Bresnan might have to sit out.

The fact that they might have to contain Warner adds a whole new dimension to the scheme of things, but the English have enough artillery up their arsenal to accomplish this.

Here is a SWOT analysis carried out on the English team.

Strengths

Quirkish as it might sound, England’s batting as well as bowling both feature in this list.

Batting

Bell stands out. He has been contributing heavily. And incidentally, Bell, England’s man of the tournament thus far, is also England’s best batsman at Manchester, averaging 81. Things look difficult for Australia already.

Then there is Root, who whipped up 180 in the second innings at Lord’s. Trott and Bairstow were amongst the runs as well.

Bowling

Anderson has been at his best this series. Swann spelt trouble for Australia at Lord’s where the track and footmarks assisted him, especially against the left handers.

Weakness

None worth a mention, really. At best, Cook has been out of sorts lately.

Cook

Though the middle order looks as settled as a cat in a heated room, the top order, especially Cook, hasn’t been his usual self. With only one fifty against his name, he would be itching to get back into top gear. It might not be correct to say that he seems a weakness, considering the fact that a big knock is due any day now.

Opportunities

An expedient track

The track might offer bounce, and start turning square from day three. This means that Tremlett, if and when he plays, might exploit the conditions to the maximum benefit for the Englishmen. Panesar is in contention too. The 14-member squad seems to have been designed to cover all possible loose ends.

Disorderly Aussie Middle order

Same old story from the first two tests, and it continues. The Australian middle order looks hapless, clueless and what not, which the Englishmen have been able to capitalise big time. Encore possible.

Anderson playing at home

A rampaging Anderson has been the destructor-in-chief for the England team. Added to that is the fact that he will be playing in front of his home crowd at Old Trafford. Expect firecrackers.

Threats

Warner

The burly Aussie could play his first match at Manchester, and that could tremendously boost the Aussie morale considering the fact that he is fresh from a knock of 193 against South Africa A last week. If he cuts loose, he might prove to be a handful.

Complacency

After a convincing and piecemeal demolition of the Aussies at Lord’s, talks are already doing the rounds about a possible whitewash. In such a scenario, a sense of complacency seems inevitable, and a counterattacking Australian team might prove insuperable.

Probable XI

Cook(C), Root, Trott, Bell, Pietersen, Bairstow, Prior(WK), Broad, Swann, Tremlett, Anderson.