Sydney no time for experimenting: Bairstow

England's Jonny Bairstow says his side shouldn't experiment with selections as they aim to claim their first win of the Ashes in the final Test in Sydney.

Dead-rubber or not, England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow insists selectors must stick with the best available side for Thursday's final Ashes Test at the SCG.

Pressure is mounting on the likes of spinner Moeen Ali, who has taken just three wickets at 135 for the series after he failed to spin England to their victory of the series in Melbourne.

Batsmen Mark Stoneman and James Vince are yet to reach triple figures in the series - alongside captain Joe Root - and will be desperate for runs in Sydney.

The SCG Test could also allow for England to make some moves for the future, after three players were debuted by the visitors in the corresponding dead rubber four years ago.

But Bairstow scoffed at the suggestion 20-year-old legspinner Mason Crane could be given a debut at the SCG simply in order to give him Test match experience.

"You've got to play your best team. We're in it to win matches of cricket," Bairstow said.

"Whether that's Mason plays, whoever it is the XI that go out are going out to win the Test match.

"Yes the series is gone, but I'm sure you can see from the spirit the guys showed in this Test match, by no means is it an easy ride or foot off the gas."

Bairstow also backed veteran quicks Stuart Broad and James Anderson to be fit for Thursday after the pair toiled through a combined 54 overs in Australia's second innings at the MCG.

England's bowlers left Melbourne without any serious injuries after spending the final day in the field on an unresponsive pitch, and will benefit from the longer-than-norman four-day break between Australia's two showcase Tests of the holiday period.

"They've all played the warm-up games, they've all played every single Test match," Bairstow said of Broad and Anderson.

"There's no need for that to change and I don't see it changing.

"The performance that we put in this last game was really good and if we're really honest we could've won that Test match."


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world