3 things England need to do right on Day 4 of the Ashes Test at Lord's
England are on the back foot against their arch-rivals following yet another mediocre day's play and are on the cusp of carrying a 2-0 deficit in the ongoing Ashes series.
The Ben Stokes-led side have an uphill task ahead of them in the final two days of the second Test at Lord's, with Australia already accumulating 221 runs as lead with eight wickets remaining.
Day 3 of the Lord's Test proved to be an unforgettable day in English cricket for all the wrong reasons. The English batters initiated a self-destruct sequence as Australia's short-pitched bowling paid dividends. From a comfortable score of 188-1 at one stage, England collapsed to 324 all-out, giving Australia a healthy lead in the process.
In response, the hosts have done well with the ball in the second innings when compared to their first-innings effort. They could have had a bit more grip on the game with a few more wickets, but with England confident enough of chasing about any total, they are still in the game.
Before having the final say with the bat, England will have to get through the formidable Australian batting unit on Day 4 at Lord's.
On that note, here are three things England need to do right on Day 4 of the Lord's Ashes Test.
#1 Break the Smith-Khawaja partnership as soon as possible
Australia's most secure and in-form duo occupy the crease currently which is England's first and primary concern ahead of Day 4. Bowlers have found it hard to dismiss Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja in this series, especially the latter, who has already played out 711 deliveries across four innings.
Smith has also found his groove with a ton in the first innings, and should the two batters find some rhythm and stitch together a partnership, it will be very difficult for the hosts to contain the free-flowing lower batters and the eventual built-up lead.
As a result, England have to find a way to make an early breakthrough and expose the middle order as quickly as possible. It was Ben Stokes' wicket off the second delivery of the day that asserted Australia's authority on Friday, and now the hosts are in dire need of something similar to spark a comeback.
#2 Unsettle Travis Head with short-pitched stuff
Travis Head has proven to be a thorn in the flesh of several oppositions, and the left-handed batter showed his caliber in the first innings as well. His counter-attacking knock blew England just as they appeared to make an impression on the first day.
While the seam bowling attack lacks the pace, panache, and intensity to implement a short-ball plan, they could at least attempt the ploy to unsettle Head at the start of his innings.
Forcing Head to a very slow start might just make him agitated, which could increase the chances of the in-form batter making an error when he wants to switch gears through his trademark counter-attack.
The England pacer did execute the short-ball strategy well in the first Test, albeit it was against the lower-order batters. With an extra seamer and potentially Ben Stokes at their disposal, the hosts could ramp up their initial plan and bounce Head out of the game.
#3 Bring Joe Root into play like the first innings
The ongoing Lord's Test will not be fondly remembered by spinners, by any stretch of the imagination. Firstly, England went into the contest without a frontline spinner and on the other end, Nathan Lyon was ruled out of the game due to injury.
In the absence of tweakers, the part-timers have had to step up in a big way. Joe Root, on his way to becoming a certified red-ball all-rounder, claimed the crucial wickets of Travis Head and Cameron Green on the opening day. He finished with figures of 2-19 off eight overs, which included a maiden over as well.
Ben Stokes would be hopeful of something similar from his lone spinner if he runs out of answers with his pace attack or with Australian batters' familiarity and ease against pace bowling. With Australians having four left-handed batters in the playing XI as well, Root could be in the picture.
Additionally, Stokes could take a page out of Australia's book, where they used spin bowling with the old ball to wipe up England's tail in the first innings.
Despite the vast difference in approach of the batting styles of the two teams, Root could be given a go from one end with the old ball, if the situation permits.
Do you think the hosts can make a comeback in the Lord's Test on Day 4? Let us know what you think.