Selectors will make changes to the side that lost at Headingley

It is unlikely the team that takes to the field for the fourth test at Old Trafford will be the same as the one that let England back in the series at Headingley.

The Australian side takes a break and will regroup in Manchester this Sunday, but it is unlikely the XI that takes to the field the following Wednesday at Old Trafford will be the same as the one that let England back in the series at Headingley.

Some decisions will be performance based, some will be gut feel, some situational, some could determine players futures.

Selectors and coaches will kick the can down the road for now, assess recoveries and conditions, but there are issues that can’t be escaped.

The simplest starting point is the Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland situation.

Hazlewood was rested from this match after playing consecutive Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s, but is fit to go. Boland, who is superhuman at home, has struggled overseas.

The Victorian has two wickets from two outings at an average of 115.5. He has 28 wickets at an average of 12.21 from six Tests at home.

“You keep all options open,” Pat Cummins said. “We’ve got nine or 10 days now, we’ll take a deep breath, we’ll go away for a few days, but you know, everyone comes back into it, Greeny should be fit for Manchester, Josh (Hazlewood) will be back in there as well.

“We should have a full roster. We’ll have a look at the wicket and have a chat and work out our best XI.”

Cummins did not rule out dropping Marsh despite his efforts in the Test.

“It’s possible, but it was a pretty impressive week, wasn’t it?”

David Warner’s first over failures at Headingley have the birds of prey re-assembling on a branch above his opening position. If Marsh and Green play, could he be the one to make room? The disruption to the side would be significant with Travis Head forced to the top of the order or even Marsh.

Australia is welded to the concept of having a spinner in its XI even though Todd Murphy barely bowled in the third match. Cummins says that was conditions based. Australia have essentially been robbed of one win on the WTC Points table because of over rates lost at Lord’s when Nathan Lyon went down and will not risk that penalty again.

Head admits it has been hard going with England determined not to give him a ball in his own half. The South Australian has done well to score three half centuries at a strike rate in 70s despite the negative tactics.

“It’s a challenging thing,” he said. “It’s foreign. There’s not many periods we’ve seen in Test cricket where it’s just been 100 per cent short balls. That was a plan coming in, I wasn’t surprised, I prepared and thought it was going to come (but) maybe not to the extent that it did.

“I try and look at the field, and I’ve to score off it. I can’t just sit and cop them, because as we’ve seen that’s going to be the whole days worth. I want to put some pressure on them and keep the scoreboard moving.”

The bowlers, at least, did not have much work to do in Leeds where England’s innings were done in 102 overs.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey fails to hold onto a chance from England batter Mark Wood on the fourth and final day. Picture: Getty Images.

Australia would have liked to have kept the opposition’s attack on the park a little longer — as it had in the first two Tests — but the game on a fast deck was essentially done in three days.

Warner and Usman Khawaja put on three good half century partnerships in the first matches, it does not look much but they have soaked up the most difficult sessions, often batting under bruised skies and always against a fresh bowler with new balls.

Khawaja, while he only posted scores of 13 and 43 at Headingley is the series marathon man.

He has faced 908 deliveries and averaged 59 in the series, no other Australian batsman has faced 400 balls. Harry Brook’s entire career _ 10 Tests and 1000 plus runs _ have involved only 1028 deliveries.

England, meanwhile, are boosted by a win which in contrast to the corresponding 2019 match, involved contributions from many and not just Ben Stokes.

The home side’s skipper is backing his prediction made post Lord’s that this team will win three straight and regain the Ashes.

“I think if you look at the first two games in terms of how tight they were, getting over the line in another tight game can mentally help knowing that another the close game we’ve got over the line in this one because another really tight game didn’t go our way,” Stokes said.

“So you sort of flip it round and we didn’t win this one and it’s tight again, you sort of

think ‘it’s just not meant to be’.

“But obviously we’re over the moon that we won this one, it’s just the start of what we know we need to do.”

Bowlers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes came in for the third Test and demand retention in the fourth given their important contributions _ Wood was awarded man of the match.

“It’s always good having selection headaches as a squad and as a team. But look we obviously went with Woody and Woaksey this game and Mo (Moeen Ali) back into the team as well. So when you make some changes and those guys come in and make an impact at different points throughout the game you obviously give yourself a pat on the back and say well done.”