England and Australia will take on each other in the third Test of the Ashes 2023 at Headingley tomorrow onwards. Having won the first two matches, another Australian victory will seal the series for them. Needless to say that the Leeds pitch will again attract a lot of eyeballs.
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Even though England fought well in the first two Tests, they are yet to win a match in this series. Captain Ben Stokes yet again proved that he is one of the best performers under pressure. Additionally, he has some happy memories attached to this venue as well. Pacer Mark Wood can be in serious consideration for this game.
The Australian team has managed to get the results in their favour. Spinner Nathan Lyon has been ruled out of the series and will be a big miss. Todd Murphy is expected to replace Lyon in this match. The rest of the Australian side is expected to stay unchanged.
Headingley Leeds Pitch Report For England vs Australia 3rd Ashes Test
The first look of the Headingley pitch is out and it is looking like a green paradise. It is difficult to spot the difference between the playing area and the pitch. Having said that, it is noteworthy that the pitch at Lord’s was also looking greenish initially but the grass was trimmed before the match.
First look at the Headingley pitch pic.twitter.com/ZZxkIl0tnI
— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) July 4, 2023
Headingley’s track has always been a competitive one and there’s generally been a good amount of bounce on it. The pacers are again expected to play a big part on this wicket. Looking at the pitch, the swing bowlers can cause a good amount of damage here. The short ball ploy can again be used just like the last game by both sides.
The last Test played here was between England and New Zealand last year where spinner Jack Leach took 10 wickets in the match. In the later days, the slower bowlers may have a role to play. The average first-innings score here has been 300 runs, whereas the average fourth-innings score has been 165 runs.
It is a track where batting first has been the ideal scenario after winning the toss. Overcast weather is expected on Day 1, and if the track remains green, bowling first can also be a tempting option.
“It Is Not Great Viewing” – James Anderson Wants A Bowler-Friendly Pitch
Speaking to Telegraph Sport, veteran England pacer James Anderson said that both sets of bowlers would want a pitch that should have something for the bowlers. The short balls worked at the Lord’s, but it was a flat track overall.
“When you see the best bowlers in the world slamming it into the middle of the pitch, it is not great viewing”.
Headingley’s track has not been the easiest surface to bat on. The Australian batters are much more comfortable to bouncers than the English batters because they are face similar conditions at home. It will be interesting to see the nature of the track for third Test.
As far as Anderson is concerned, unconfirmed reports concerning him getting rested for this match are doing the rounds across social media platforms.
