What changes should England make for final #raisethebat Test at Emirates Old Trafford?
Monday 20 July 2020 22:19, UK
West Indies risk "destroying" the out-of-form Shai Hope if he plays in the series-deciding third and final #raisethebat Test against England, Sir Curtly Ambrose told Sky Sports.
Hope scored two centuries in the same match at Headingley in 2017 to steer West Indies to a famous win over England - but has averaged below 25 in 21 Tests since, with no hundreds.
The 26-year-old has made scores of 16, 9, 25 and 7 in the first two Tests against England and Ambrose feels it may be wise to rest the Bajan in the final game at Emirates Old Trafford.
"Something has gone terribly wrong for him since those two centuries at Headingley - he hasn't done anything really in Test cricket since then," said Ambrose, who claimed 405 wickets in 98 Tests for West Indies.
"He is a much better player than what he is showing at the moment and is obviously very low on confidence.
"Maybe in the next game we should rest him so he can regain some confidence. If you keep playing him and he keeps failing it will only get worse. You are going to destroy him if it continues like that.
"I like Hope a lot. I think he is a fantastic player but this is not doing his confidence any good. Are West Indies going to go with him again? It's a tough call.
"I am inclined to give him another go but by bringing someone else in he could get totally away from the game for a little bit and get his mind together."
England levelled the series in style in Manchester on Monday with a 113-run victory - having gone into the game with an entirely different pace attack, save for all-rounder Ben Stokes.
James Anderson and Mark Wood were rested, while Jofra Archer was excluded after a bio-secure breach for which he has been fined and received a writing warning.
Stuart Broad, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes were drafted into the side and took a combined 14 wickets as England rebounded from their four-wicket defeat at the Ageas Bowl a week earlier.
Former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara says the hosts should name the same XI as they search for a series win, while Dominic Cork would make one alteration.
Bopara told Sky Sports: "I am going unchanged if everyone is fit - I don't see any reason to change anything. These guys have gone out there and won a Test for England and deserve to play.
"I thought about bringing Archer in and getting that little extra pace on the Old Trafford wicket - there is a case for going at the stumps on the fourth and fifth day.
"But the seam attack did brilliantly and Curran, the left-armer, gives you something different and creates foot holes for the spinner."
Former England, Derbyshire, Hampshire and England seamer Cork added: "I would make one change - Anderson for Curran.
"I think Woakes deserves his place slightly ahead of Curran. I wouldn't bring Archer back and I would have Broad with Anderson. When you have two of the best you play them.
"I think England will rest a few others, though, because of the fact it is such a long season.
"It's not just back-to-back Tests - you come straight out of a series against West Indies and into a series against Pakistan."
Watch day one of the final #raisethebat Test between England and West Indies, at Emirates Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.30am on Friday.
