Seamer
Chris Woakes has been ruled out with a side strain opening the way for
young leg-spinner Mason Crane to make his debut for England in today’s
final Ashes Test against Australia.
England skipper Joe Root confirmed 20-year-old Crane will play following the injury set-back to Woakes.
Woakes
had scans on his injured left side yesterday and was ruled out of the
Sydney Test as the tourists seek to win their first Test win of the
series.
The Warwickshire paceman missed a significant part of
England’s home season after straining his side during last year’s
Champions Trophy and pulled up sore after last week’s fourth Melbourne
Test.
Woakes has taken 10 wickets at 49.5 in the four Tests and
scored just 114 runs through seven innings batting number eight at an
average of 16.28. But he is a key member of England’s limited overs
sides — and with both a one-day international series and a Twenty20
tri-series to follow over the next month, England are not prepared to
risk him.
“More than anything it’s making sure he’s not out for a
significant period of time like he was throughout the summer,” Root told
reporters.
“It gives him another week to get himself right and
hopefully that’s the case and he’s fit and ready to go when those games
come around.”
Crane, who has made two Twenty20 appearances, comes
into the Test having taken five wickets for New South Wales at the SCG
last year while playing Sydney club cricket. “The way he went about
those Twenty20s shows he is right up for international cricket and he’s
not someone that is going to back down from any challenge,” Root said.
“He’s performed very well when he’s had his opportunities on this trip.”
England
coach Trevor Bayliss this week indicated Crane was in line to debut
when he told reporters: “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’ve got to start somewhere.”
The
injury to Woakes is likely to give the out-of-sorts Moeen Ali another
chance. 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.
England spinner Mason Crane (centre) speaks to captain Joe Root as teammate Moeen Ali (left) bowls in the nets during training at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday, on the eve of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia. (AFP)