England are currently 1-2 down in the ongoing Ashes series and would be looking to win the upcoming Test at Old Trafford to keep themselves alive in the hunt. Although the third Test proved to be a positive one for the hosts, they struggled to find a replacement for injured Olie Pope at no. 3 batting position. It is worth mentioning that Pope was ruled out of the Ashes 2023 after sustaining a shoulder injury in the Lord’s Test.
The English side initially tried sending Harry Book to bat one down during the Headingley Test but were disappointed as Brook was dismissed for mere three runs. Following the failed attempt promoting Brook, England sent Moeen Ali up the order in their second innings, but that didn’t solve the problem either, as he fell for just five runs at no. 3.
In light of the team’s struggles to find a reliable no. 3, former England captain Nasser Hussain expressed his opinion that Joe Root, currently batting at no. 4, should consider moving up to the coveted position.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nasser said Root is one of England’s best players and should step up for the team. He also highlighted Root’s take on the same issue from the pre-match press conference of the third Test, where the English batter said he would be happy to bat at the third position.
“I’d be trying to convince Joe Root to bat at No.3. They may not do it. He said before the game (third Test) actually, Joe, in the press conference, ‘I’m quite happy to move to No.3,” said Nasser.
“And then obviously, Brook did it, but I would be trying to convince Joe Root to go out and bat No.3. He’s England’s best player. He will end up England’s greatest-ever batter, and that’s where he should be coming in, one down,” he added.
As far as Root’s stats batting one down are concerned, The 32-year-old has scored 2222 runs at the no. 3 position for England with an average of 39.67 in 59 innings.
