Atkinson has had a difficult tour, though is certainly not alone on that front. His average of 78.66 is the worst of England’s bowlers, with just three wickets from 54 overs – the first of those coming with the final ball of his 41st over of the series, during Australia’s first innings of the second Test. His pace has also dropped off considerably, resulting in less snap off the surface.
In Tongue, England have opted for a wicket-taking option rather than the control that Matthew Potts might have offered. The seamer will earn his seventh Test cap since debuting in the 2023 home season, with 31 dismissals at an average of exactly 30.
It will be Tongue’s second meeting with Australia after playing at Lord’s during the last Ashes, taking five wickets in the match, including Steven Smith twice, though the first came when Smith had 110 to his name. The 28-year-old has dismissed Smith four times in all – once for Worcestershire in 2023’s County Championship when Smith was playing for Sussex, and in this year’s edition of The Hundred.
Tongue’s last outing for the Test side came in their final match of the summer, taking 5 for 125 against India – his second five-wicket haul – finishing the series as England’s leading wicket taker (19) despite just three appearances in the five-match series.
He was especially good at removing the tail, something England failed to do in the second Test at the Gabba, when Australia’s final four stands added 182 for a first-innings lead of 177. Though he has managed just two wickets in the tour matches so far, including a wicketless 16 overs against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, England believe his knack of producing unplayable deliveries will come to the fore on this Adelaide surface.
The omission of Bashir, however, speaks to lack of trust in the offspinner, at a time when Australia are set to welcome back Nathan Lyon. Bashir’s surprise call-up for 2024’s tour of India effectively came through attributes he shared with Lyon – a high release point and ability to impart overspin on the ball. Almost two years on, after 19 Test caps and 68 wickets at 39.00. they have decided not to pick the 22-year-old in this crunch match.
Stokes has backed Bashir publicly, and it is worth noting the spinner’s last delivery in Test cricket was to win the third Test against India at Lord’s, after breaking a finger that would rule him out of the rest of the summer. It was display of courage that enamored himself further to the England captain, who had installed Bashir as his No.1 spinner from the start of the 2024 summer, at the expense of Jack Leach.
That status was reiterated by Stokes ahead of the Gabba Test after Will Jacks was confirmed as the team’s spin option, and an all-pace attack was rolled out in Perth. But after figures of 2 for 151 in England’s pre-series warm-up against the Lions (Bashir bowled 12 overs each for both sides) and 0 for 115 for the Lions against Australia A last week, England have clearly lost belief in their project spinner.
Though Jacks was used sparingly in Brisbane, he was relatively tidy for his 11.3 overs, returning 1 for 34, and ultimately reinforced his credentials with the bat. The Surrey allrounder’s 19 in the first innings formed part of a 40-run stand with Joe Root, before contributing 41 alongside Stokes in the second, which forced Australia to bat again, albeit chasing just 65. England will now likely open the bowling with Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse.
England’s XI for Adelaide
1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt) 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Will Jacks, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Josh Tongue
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