England aim to overcome Mitch hitch in third Test

Chris Rogers should be fit to face England in the third Ashes Test this week, claims Australia team-mate Mitchell Starc.

Cook did not appear to trust him in the second innings of a nailbiting clash at Trent Bridge, which England won by 14 runs.

That match saw Anderson, England’s most successful Test bowler with 406 wickets, go wicketless for the first time in 59 Tests.

“We’re really grateful for the donation”, said WCCC head groundsman Gary Barwell at the time of delivery.

England won the first Test in Cardiff by 169 runs but Australia bounced right back with a massive 405-run victory at Lord’s to level the five-match series 1-1. “We’ve got to be careful”.

Wood’s problematic left ankle was being closely monitored by medical staff on Monday and Tuesday in the knowledge that the Durham speedster has struggled to play consistently throughout his career.

“We are a little bit concerned about Woody and will have to make that call tomorrow”, Cook said.

Edgbaston has been quite a happy hunting ground for England of late and Cook says the raucous crowd will act as a major plus if they can be given something to cheer.

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“It’s never easy to come into such a big series – but he’s averaging a hundred, with five hundreds under his belt”, Root of his Yorkshire team-mate.

“The lads have been talking about the opportunity we have got ahead of ourselves now”.

Clarke paid tribute to the out-of-form Ian Bell who will move up one place in England’s batting order following Gary Ballance’s exclusion.

England subsided to 30-4 and 48-4 at Lord’s, with Lyth and Bell contributing a combined 19 runs in four innings.

Australia captain Michael Clarke, one of only two survivors from that celebrated match along with England batsman Ian Bell who will be playing this week, had a less rosy view.

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“Now I want to get out there and score some runs”.

“But when you’re out there, you’re thinking about the game situation”.

It’s a mostly cloudy day in Birmingham with an expected top temperature of 17C.

He is certainly the outstanding player from the county game and couldn’t be in any better form going into a Test match.

The sight of England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff putting a consoling arm round the shoulders of not out tailender Brett Lee, who had so almost guided Australia to a stunning success, became one of cricket’s great enduring images.

“If it was concussion, I would have thought that perhaps that was it (for my career)”, he added.

“A really freakish sensation, kind of scary and I wouldn’t have been able to continue, so that’s why I went off”.

Finn is the spare paceman in the squad and will feature if Wood is rested. “A lot of people wanted Alastair Cook out of the side – now look what he’s doing”.