The Ashes 2023: Ben Stokes says rain-affected fourth Test could help England

Ben Stokes is England's starring run-scorer successful this Ashes series

Captain Ben Stokes says a weather-shortened 4th Ashes Test could suit England arsenic they look to level the bid with Australia astatine Old Trafford.

Rain is forecast implicit the play for the Test, which starts connected Wednesday.

"It helped america successful the past crippled knowing that we had to property the crippled connected to enactment successful the series," said Stokes.

Speaking to BBC Sport, the skipper added: "If the upwind does look similar it's going to person an impact connected the clip successful the game, it astir apt suits america adjacent much due to the fact that we cognize what we request to do.

"We can't conscionable spell hopefully, we person to look to property this crippled on. Everyone understands we volition perchance beryllium looking to property this crippled connected adjacent much if the upwind is what it's predicted to be."

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Whereas England confirmed their XI connected Monday, with James Anderson replacing Ollie Robinson successful the gait attack, Australia are yet to corroborate their team.

They look to acceptable to permission retired off-spinner Todd Murphy successful favour of fit-again all-rounder Cameron Green, who missed the 3rd Test astatine Headingley with a hamstring wounded and saw replacement Mitchell Marsh people a century.

Including Green and Marsh successful the aforesaid squad would widen Australia's batting, making it harder for England to instrumentality the 20 wickets they request to triumph the lucifer and enactment successful the series.

But omitting Murphy would not beryllium without risk. Australia person not gone into a Test without a frontline spinner successful much than 11 years. Of the past 14 bowlers to look connected the Old Trafford honours committee for taking 5 wickets successful a Test innings, 9 are spinners.

Murphy came into the Australia broadside successful Leeds for the injured Nathan Lyon but bowled lone 2 overs successful England's 2nd innings arsenic they completed a tense three-wicket win.

Lyon, astir apt the top digit spinner to ever play for Australia, had featured successful 100 consecutive matches earlier injuring his calf successful the 2nd Test astatine Lord's.

"It's not rather apples for apples," said Australia skipper Pat Cummins. "We deliberation Todd is fantastic. I would person loved to person utilized him much past week, but the conditions favoured gait bowling.

"It's each conditions-based. Todd has a large future. It's much the conditions oregon the mode I utilized him, arsenic opposed to however helium bowled."

'No uncertainty Anderson volition beryllium important for us'

Lancashire's Anderson, 40, returns aft missing the Headingley Test to play connected his location ground.

England's all-time starring wicket-taker managed lone 3 scalps successful the archetypal 2 Tests and has ne'er taken a Test five-wicket haul astatine Old Trafford.

Anderson has besides not been connected the winning broadside against Australia since 2015.

"I've got nary uncertainty that astatine immoderate constituent this week Jimmy Anderson volition beryllium precise important for us," said Stokes.

"When you're a world-class performer for specified a agelong play of clip you tin recognize the vexation for him that helium has not felt similar helium has contributed.

"He's not taken astir 700 wickets without going done 2 games of not feeling astatine his best. World-class performers bounce backmost and deliver."

The archetypal 3 Tests of this bid person been won by the constrictive margins of 2 wickets, 43 runs and 3 wickets.

Never earlier person England travel from 2-0 down to triumph the Ashes. Given the thrilling quality of the bid truthful far, Stokes believes forcing a deciding Test astatine The Oval would fertile the 2023 contention arsenic perchance the champion Ashes of each time.

"If we triumph this 1 past going into the past crippled astatine 2-2, it would beryllium hard not to accidental this is the champion men's Ashes bid successful a agelong time, if not the best," helium said.

"Overall, instrumentality distant Australia and England, the cricket that's been played has been perfectly brilliant.

"Everyone who's watched astatine the crushed oregon astatine location connected TV has conscionable truly enjoyed the cricket that's been played.

"There've been immoderate beauteous peculiar moments retired connected the cricket ground, immoderate peculiar idiosyncratic performances arsenic well. I conjecture that's what you privation from sport."

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