England have made a single change to their Ashes XI for the third Test in Adelaide, drafting in Josh Tongue in place of struggling pacer Gus Atkinson while opting against calling up offspinner Shoaib Bashir for the spin-friendly surface.
At 2-0 down, England’s priority is wickets, and Tongue’s proven knack for breakthroughs offers a more attacking option than Matthew Potts’ control. Tongue, who took five wickets against Australia at Lord’s last Ashes and finished as England’s leading wicket-taker against India in 2025, brings experience and a track record of dismantling both top and lower-order batters.
Atkinson’s tour has been difficult, with just three wickets at an average of 78.66, and his reduced pace has made him less threatening on flat surfaces. Tongue, in contrast, has 31 Test wickets at an exact 30 average and is expected to provide the cutting edge England lacked in Brisbane.
The omission of Bashir underscores England’s caution with their young spinner, especially with Nathan Lyon returning for Australia. Despite Stokes’ public backing, Bashir has struggled for form, conceding 266 runs in 24 overs across recent tour matches, and England have opted for a pace-heavy attack led by Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse.
This single alteration signals England’s intent to wrestle back control in Adelaide with the ball, relying on Tongue’s attacking seam skills to dismantle Australia’s top order and spark a fightback in this must-win Test.
Men’s Ashes 2025-26:
First Test: Australia won by eight wickets
Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets
Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 05:30 AM SLST
Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 05:00 AM SLST
Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 05:00 AM SLST
England’s XI for Adelaide Test:
- Zak Crawley, 2. Ben Duckett, 3. Ollie Pope, 4. Joe Root, 5. Harry Brook, 6. Ben Stokes (C), 7. Jamie Smith (WK), 8. Will Jacks, 9. Brydon Carse, 10. Jofra Archer, 11. Josh Tongue
Australia squad (third Test only): Pat Cummins (C), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
