Moin Ali scored a single digit during the third Ashes test. Photo: PA/Danny Lawson
Sometimes teams get lucky and stumble. by a formula that works and England may have just done it when Moin Ali moved to 3rd.
Everyone was surprised when he won three in the second inning on Sunday, and even the captain and the coach was taken by surprise. when Moen approached them on Saturday night to suggest a move.
Thanks to Moen because it was a selfless act to raise the order and he did it with the team in mind. He might well have noticed that Harry Brook was in contention for #3 but was too young to talk about it among the alpha males, and instead took it upon himself to speak up. There really was no other reason for the exchange. Usually a player like Moin is promoted to No. 3 in pursuit of a tight move, sent to play a few shots and either hit or not.
Sunday was not like that. England have had two days to score and they are not quite a blocking and pushing team anyway as Ben Duckett and Zach Crowley hit the ball.
Moin is set for additional online sessions this week as he prepares to make this a permanent move for the rest of the series, which is remarkable for a player who didn't play close to Test cricket six weeks ago before Jack Leach's injury.
< p> Now there are few alternatives. If England were going to pick Dan Lawrence they would have done it a week ago. Lawrence has never scored three goals for Essex, although he scored 135 yesterday in 4th place after being released to play in the County Championship against Lancashire.
Stokes was offered for third because he has defensive technique. to hit the newer ball, but it's better to hold him back until he's down because until he's out of Australia he'll never feel safe no matter who's hitting on the other end with him or the score on the board.
Johnny Bairstow is another one who is called Band-Aid No. 3 in some circles, but he has enough to do already.
Moin, hitting three balls, allows Joe Root to remain in his favorite No. 4 position, and Brook in fifth place. where he made all his attempts for England, Stokes goes into sixth position, his favorite position, and Bairstow has time to recover from being left at seven.
Harry Brook hit 75 of 93 balls in his second inning at Headingley. Photo: Getty Images/Richard Heathcote
This is also an emergency measure given the following two tests, rather than a long-term solution. Indeed, it may well be that #3 is a floating role, changing its identity depending on the situation.
A bit like a one-day batting line. But the advantage of using Moeen is that everyone recognizes that it is dictated by the circumstances. He has already said that he is not going to constantly return to Test cricket.
This is a free shot for him. He has nothing to lose. There is no fear that in the long run he will suffer by playing for him at number 3, and this will not spoil the plans for the future. England have a permanent number 3 in Ollie Pope, who will return to the team when he is fully ready.
This will also eliminate the temptation to ask Root to bat number 3, England's panic button, when they are in a state of disarray . He lost his rhythm a little after hitting a 100 in the first innings of the series, and pushing him up won't help.
England can only realistically win the next two Tests if Ruth regains his form and his No. 3 average is more than 10 points lower than his career as a whole. pretty much a necessity, now that Stokes is more or less playing like a batsman as his body falls apart.
There's no doubt it's an odd team with Moen at three. That gives England two players in the top three with averages in the 20s, with Crowley second. It is hardly a powerful group preparing to face the strongest attack in the world, but it suits the way this team likes to play cricket.
🚨 GATE 🚨 < br>
Starc clean bowls Moin Ali! ❌ pic.twitter.com/OxIPKl6eER
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 9, 2023
Moin relies on muscle memory when facing a red ball after two years of playing white ball cricket after his last test. against India in 2021 before his recall in this series, but in the early days of his career for Worcestershire he finished 3rd with great success.
He has amassed hundreds of top-notch points for England and in third place is less likely to face the flurry of bouncers that is his weakness. If Australia misses it, it will also soften the new ball for those who come later. This Australian team also lacks Nathan Lyon, which is an important factor for Moen given his weakness towards his fellow shooter.
McCallum has spent a year creating an environment where players think for themselves. He cut the behind-the-scenes staff because he felt it stifled and stifled free thinking, making players lazy and dependent on coaches to make decisions for them. Moen's request to hit three balls is exactly the attitude he has been trying to promote within his team.
McCallum is not going to pick from outside this team now, as Ben Fawkes discovered this week, so he must continue to move his pieces on the board, and Moin is the most versatile of all and the most consumable. Moin lives in the present, and McCallum preaches it every day.
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