Captain Ben Stokes has challenged England to “show a bit of dog” as they face a do-or-die third Ashes Test in Adelaide.
The tourists have brought in pace bowler Josh Tongue to replace Gus Atkinson, while Will Jacks keeps his place as the spinner ahead of Shoaib Bashir.
Harry Brook, meanwhile, has admitted that he needs to “rein it in a little bit” after scoring just 98 runs in four innings so far, thanks mainly to a raft of ill-judged attacking shots.
England trail Australia 2-0 after defeats in Perth and Brisbane, but Brendon McCullum’s side will hope a batter-friendly Adelaide Oval can offer a chance to spark a revival.
Stokes demands ‘fight’ from England
“We don’t do getting into rooms and have big things up on the screen. We have proper, meaningful conversations. What’s been said has been said,” Stokes told reporters in Adelaide.
“I’ve done all the talking over the last two days that I needed to. All that stuff’s done now, so it’s about what gets seen out on the field in Adelaide this week.
“It’s just about trying to fight in every situation that you find yourself in, understanding the situation and what you feel is required for your team.
“Just look at your opposition every single time and show a bit of dog. That’s fight to me. You’re giving yourself the best possible chance if you’ve got a bit of dog in you.”
McCullum on what Tongue offers
Tongue has been recalled to the starting XI following an impressive summer series against India, where he was England’s top wicket-taker, and head coach McCullum is optimistic over his inclusion.
“Everyone knows what he [Tongue] brings: high pace, hits the wicket hard from a fuller length, can swing and reverse swing the ball,” the Kiwi explained to the media.
“If that’s what we deem is going to be most successful, then he’ll get a run.”
READ MORE: Cricket news: Brendon McCullum bullish over England’s chances in third Ashes Test
Brook hoping to ‘bounce back’
Despite Brook beginning the Ashes as the world’s second-ranked Test batter, he has largely flattered to deceive and was guilty of making rookie errors in the first two Tests.
“Sometimes, I’ve got to rein it in a little bit, learn to absorb the pressure a bit more. I need to realise when the opportunity arises to put the pressure back on them,” he admitted.
“I feel like I haven’t done that as well as I usually do. There’s no reason behind that, I just haven’t identified those situations well enough.
“It hasn’t been an ideal series, but things like that happen and hopefully I can bounce back better and perform this week.”
Regarding his poor shot selection, Brook added: “I’ll be the first person to stand up and say that they were bad shots, shocking shots.
“I’ll admit that every day of the week, especially that one in Perth. It was nearly a bouncer and I tried to drive it. It was just bad batting. The one in Brisbane, I’ve tried to hit for six.
“That’s what I mean when I try to say that I need to rein it in a little bit. I can almost just take that and hit it for one to get down the other end.
“I don’t regret them, but if I was there again, I would try and play it slightly differently. I’ll be thinking about my game and the risks and the options I have before I go out there.”
England team for third Ashes Test
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Ashes news: England’s Mark Wood and Australia’s Josh Hazlewood ruled out of series
SportJustSport writers