England captain Joe Root said that while he is yet to decide on the final eleven, there was a possibility his team would field a third seamer in the day-night Test starting on Wednesday.
“We are going to take our time with the limited info we have on this ground and pink ball cricket. We want to give us as much information as possible before making the decision,” said Root.
“The wicket has changed drastically over the last few days. There has probably been a bit more live grass than previous wickets that we have seen out here, but it has got drier as the days have gone by,” he added.
On Jofra Archer’s availability, Root said, “It would be good to get through training tonight [Tuesday] to have absolute clarity, but it's great to see him back well and bowling again. He adds to a very strong bowling group, so hopefully he is fit for selection.”
The day-night Tests have seen batting collapses, with both teams experiencing it once — 58 for England vs. New Zealand (Auckland, 2018) and 36 for India vs. Australia (Adelaide, 2020).
When asked about it, the 30-year-old said, “It seems to be a trend, and it is something that as a batting group you need to make sure that you stop. One thing that stands out to me is the vital first 20 balls, making sure you get used to tracking the ball, get used to the conditions and be very aware of how things can change throughout the day.”
