England-Australia final Ashes Test begins today

FE Team | Published: January 03, 2018 22:44:18

SYDNEY, Jan 2 (AFP): Leg-spinner Mason Crane's experience playing in Sydney may prove the clincher to earn him a debut as England try to salvage their Ashes series with a win over Australia in Thursday's final Test.
Trailing 3-0 and the Ashes lost, England are considering a possible team change for the fifth Sydney Test with Moeen Ali's place under threat and Crane pushing for his first cap.
Moeen has played 48 Tests and came to Australia as an accomplished all-rounder but he has under-performed, taking only three wickets and averaging 19 with the bat.
The Sydney Cricket Ground has a reputation as a turning wicket, enhancing Crane's chances of playing.
The 20-year-old Hampshire leggie also boasts a five-wicket haul playing at the famous ground for New South Wales last year.
Crane, who was impressing in Sydney club cricket, was called up by NSW and took five wickets in the Sheffield Shield victory against South Australia.
"With the series lost it gives us the opportunity to look at some different people," England's Australian coach Trevor Bayliss said this week.
Asked if Crane was ready for Test cricket, Bayliss added: "There's maybe no time like the present to find out.
"We think he's a guy that has got the goods and the more he plays at this level the better he will get. You have got to start somewhere."
England outplayed Australia for large tracts of last week's fourth Test in Melbourne only for Steve Smith to bat out the entire last day with an unbeaten century for a draw.
Squad: (probable): Australia: David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith (captain), Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc
England: Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.