Ashes 2023 is in a critical situation. England are running into a 2-0 deficit in their own backyard. On the other hand, Australia has little to worry about in the upcoming third test match of the series in Leeds’ Headingley. It starts on July 6, 2023, and ends on July 10, 2023. English fans are hopeful that the series will not be lost without playing the remaining two matches.
Pitch Report
Seamers are expected to have fun when the match begins. They will be tasked with restricting the opponent to a lower score. Anything bigger on the board will come as an overload to the side that first bowls. Spinners will make their way into the game as the day moves forward. There is also a probability that spinners will come in the last hour of the match.
A final decision will only be on the shoulders of Ben Stokes or Pat Cummins, depending on who goes for the throw first.
England’s finding Moeen Ali as a replacement for Ollie Pope and Mark Wood as a replacement for James Anderson will add to the uncertainty. Ali’s bowling spell has been crucial so far in his career, having picked up a total of 198 wickets in 114 innings. Wood has played comparatively younger innings, 52, picking up 90 wickets in the red ball format.
Australia is adding Todd Murphy following the development that Nathan Lyon has to depart from the Ashes 2023.
Simply put, the pitch reports are solid for seamers. As mentioned above, changes will add spice to the action that both teams start facing on July 6, 2023. This will be a decisive event for the hosts, as losing it means bidding adieu to the series in this edition.
Weather Report
The weather in the UK runs unpredictably. Ashes 2023 is no different. However, experts have been able to decipher the coming days for England and Australia. Leeds is predicted to have clear clouds for the first two days of the test match, while the remaining days are likely to see a shower from the top. The temperature will be around 20 degrees Celsius, cold enough to keep the batter away from heat. Therefore, keeping them less tired for a longer inning.
Australia is looking to seal the deal in this test. Hosts may not let that happen. Per the odds on the best cricket betting sites, Australia has better chances of clinching victory from the hands of Stokes’ army. There is a margin for both teams to land a draw. Even though they were thin, they could manage to have a no-win, no-loss situation.
Importance
Having said that, a draw in the third installment of Ashes 2023 will keep the remaining two matches intact. They will be another opportunity for the Aussies to strengthen the series and for England to have a fresh perspective on their game.
England finally winning the match will get them closer to equalizing the tally in the series. Losing the match will let them play other events simply for pride. If the third situation prevails, chances are that Pat Cummins will rest some of his key players to give others a chance.
The average score at Headingley in the first inning is 250–300. Australia holds the record for registering the largest total of 653 at the venue. That was against England on July 22, 1993. This was followed by India bagging 628 runs with a loss of 8 wickets on August 22, 2002. The highest runs scored by England at Headingley were 570 against the Indies on May 25, 2007, bringing them to the 5th spot on the list.
Key Players
Based on how teams performed in the previous installment, it is right to say that Steve Smith, whom the English fans saw cry on the telly, will be a threat to their bowling unit. He was named Player of the Match for bringing in 110 and 34 in the first and second innings, respectively. Usman Khawaja did wonders in the second innings by scoring 77 runs off 187 balls.
Mitchell Starc is likely to lead them, having picked up 3 wickets in 17 overs and 3 wickets in 22 overs in both innings.
Ben Duckett, a left-handed English batsman, has a total of 181 runs from both innings at an average of 90.5. The skipper left a mark in the second innings with 155 runs off 214 balls, but the fact remains that the consistency of Duckett is one of the few hopes for them to rise from the ground below.
Ollie Robinson was a tricky read since he gave away 100 runs at the cost of 3 wickets. The following innings saw him chase 2 wickets for 48 runs in nearly 25 overs. Stuart Broad could once again start for Stokes and try to pick early wickets.
Recap
Expect moments to heat up as Jonny Bairstow wants to redeem the unfairness of the Aussies. Their win is now nothing but infamous, from the moment Alex Carey kept the ball in play even though the batter had marked the crease.
The Aussies often engage in mind games; one recent instance is their newspaper media showing Ben Stokes in diapers to label him as a crybaby.
Conclusion
Call it a final battle for the hosts, as England could lose the entire series if they don’t win the third of five test matches of the Ashes 2023 against Australia.
