"Think for the team right now it's the best thing" - Moeen Ali opens up on batting at No.3 ahead of the fourth Ashes Test
England all-rounder Moeen Ali spoke about batting at No.3 and its benefits for the team's overall performance ahead of the fourth Test at Manchester on Wednesday, July 19. The 36-year-old admitted the challenges of batting at the position against the Australian bowlers but was more than pleased to do the job for the hosts.
Faced with a 0-2 deficit, England brought a fully fit Ali back into the side. Despite contributing with a valuable 21 at No. 7 in the first innings, the southpaw came in at one drop during the second innings.
The move was supposedly made to get Harry Brook to bat at his customary No. 5 position, and the strategy paid off with the young batter scoring a match-winning 75 in England's successful run-chase.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the pivotal fourth Test, Moeen Ali said:
"It's obviously going to be challenge batting No 3 against Australia with the best bowling attack in the world. I'm looking forward to it.I do enjoy batting three, the challenge of batting three. I think for the team right now it's the best thing. I'm looking forward to playing against these guys and getting challenged."
Ali stated that his batting style against Australia could be dictated by how well their bowlers are bowling at that moment.
"I know it's not easy because they are obviously very good. If I feel like I'm going in and I'm playing well I might be aggressive. If they're bowling well I might not be aggressive - I'll try and bat as properly as I can," said Ali.
The veteran all-rounder also asserted that Harry Brook should bat at No. 5, a position he has excelled at in his young career.
"I think Brook is a great player and will be a great player. I just personally feel like five is great for him and the impact he can have at five is much more than what he can probably do at three, at the moment. I'm not saying he won't be a good No 3 I just feel right now for the team it's probably best that I go three," added Ali.
Moeen Ali has batted in every position from one to nine in his 66-match Test career. While most of his success has come at No. 7 and 8, the left-hander has batted at No. 3 seven times.
On the other hand, Brook has batted at No. 5 in 14 of his 17 innings, with a sensational average of 74.69, including four centuries and as many half-centuries. The third Test was the first instance of the talented right-hander batting at No. 3, scoring only three off 11 deliveries.
"England are a better team with James Anderson in there" - Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali threw his weight behind stalwart James Anderson, with the champion pacer returning to the England playing XI for the fourth Test. After missing out in the third Test at Headingley, the 40-year-old will replace the injured Ollie Robinson on his home ground at Manchester.
Despite being the third leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, Anderson looked surprisingly off-color in the first two games, both of which England lost by slim margins.
"There's no doubt England are a better team with James Anderson in there. In the two games he played I actually thought he bowled really well in both of them. I think he's been a bit unfortunate with catches and things probably not going his way," said Moeen Ali.
Picking up just three wickets in the first two Tests at a dismal average of 75.33, Anderson will look to make amends on his home turf at Old Trafford.
"Being the best bowler England have ever had and being a legend of a player and a great guy as well, it's great to see him have the opportunity to play, it could be his last one, and hopefully he bowls well and gets us the win," Ali said.
The 40-year-old has enjoyed great success in his Test career at Manchester, picking up 37 wickets in ten games at an impressive average of 22.02. Moeen Ali firmly believes England can win the remaining two games to recapture the Ashes.
"I think I think we've challenged the number one team in the world and we've gone toe to toe with them," he said. "At crucial times they've managed to win that battle but I don't think we're far off. All the games have been fantastic but the belief in the changing room is that we can win this series, 3-2 and there's no doubt we have that," Moeen Ali added.
England have won their last four Tests at the venue since losing to Australia in the 2019 Ashes by a massive 185 runs.
Overall, the hosts boast an excellent record at Manchester, with more than twice as many wins as losses. However, they should be wary of Australia, the only visiting team with a winning record at the venue.