Australia is comfortably placed in the ongoing Ashes 2023. They lead the series 2-0 and have put England under pressure for probably the first time after the appointment of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum at the helm of affairs. Nevertheless, Pat Cummins and co. cannot be complacent. They might bring in a few changes ahead of the next game. This could be to keep the players fresh and also some forced changes could be in place. Here, we take a look at two bold changes Australia might do for the third Ashes Test.
1) Scott Boland for Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazlewood has done well in the Ashes, so far. He has picked a few important wickets when they were really needed for his side. However, his recent injury record is not great.
The cricketer had been out of action for a while before playing a few games in IPL 2023. It might be too much for him to play three games in a row, especially with the next game starting in just a few days. With the likes of Scott Boland available on the bench, the Aussies could try him instead of Hazlewood so that the latter gets some rest before the final matches.
2) Todd Murphy for Nathan Lyon
Todd Murphy for Nathan Lyon is one of the changes Australia might do for the third Ashes Test. Nathan Lyon is ruled out of Ashes and hence, Australia needs to make a forced change.
Australia has no option other than Todd Murphy in the squad. It would be a bold call to include him as the youngster could crumble under pressure. Instead, Australia has the option of going in with four frontline seamers with the likes of Travis Head offering variety as a spin bowler. That said, Murphy would likely be selected for this match at Leeds.
