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England captain, Ben Stokes, said: “We’ve got some very fond memories here as an England team, I’m sure supporters have got some fond memories as well. 1981 and 2019 will probably come up at some point around the ground.
“We’ve had some some pretty special memories here as a team, obviously, that game [2019] in particular was probably the highlight for the guys who were here. But even going back before we were even born obviously Beefy [Botham] here as well and Bob [Willis].
“I think the magical thing that would happen this week is for us to win the game and keep the Ashes alive. We’ve had good memories here and you’re always thinking it’d be great to make another one.”
Stokes encouraged his team to play with total freedom despite the perilous situation they find themselves in.
“We understand where we’re at in the series and we know what we need to do,” he said. “It may sound daft and something but we find ourselves in actually the perfect situation for for what we have been speaking about as a group in the dressing room, what we want to do and how we want to go about it. And this is that moment, it starts here at Headingley and we’ve got to win this game.
The game is set to be played in an electric atmosphere following Australia’s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s on Sunday as they won by 43 runs. Stokes called on the crowd to get behind England.
“The atmosphere on the Western Terrace when it gets going, especially towards the end of the day, is something else,” he said. “When we’re on top here, they get going with us but even when things aren’t going our way, they’re always there with us. It’s just an amazing atmosphere here at Headingley, it always has been and I think they absolutely love the fact that Yorkshire people walk out and play here – they love watching Jonny and Joe [Root] come out and play cricket for England.
“The crowd here is amazing. When we’re on top they get going even more, but even when things are slow and maybe we’re not having the success that we want to in any given situation, they’re still going wild. I think they might be a little bit ramped up, for some reason.
“That’s natural. We have experienced it all in Australia. It’s a pretty hostile environment in Australia when you’re playing in the Ashes but that’s part of playing the game.”
Stokes confirmed England’s team, as reported by Telegraph Sport on Tuesday, with Harry Brook promoted to No 3 and Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood coming into the side. Stokes admitted that doubts over his own fitness came into his thinking following a gruelling weekend at Lord’s in which he bowled a 12-over spell, then battered 155 to give England hope of victory.
“I’m not going to lie: that last week sort of took it out of me a little bit,” said Stokes. “So a big part of what I had to think of is what would be the best team if I wasn’t to bowl a ball in this game, in the worst case scenario? That doesn’t mean I’m not going to bowl but that was a that was a huge part of the thinking about the team that we picked.”
Stokes also promoted keeper Bairstow to No 5, where he enjoyed a stunning run of form in 2022.
“That’s where he performed his miracles last summer,” said Stokes. “Jonny is someone who wants to get in the game and we feel he offers his best to the team when he is in the game. He’s a superstar and the quicker we can get him in the game particularly with the bat the better off it is for him as an individual and the better off we are as a team.”
Wood will provide England with a regular 90mph option for the first time this series having shaken off an elbow complaint. He comes in for the rested Josh Tongue, who took five wickets at Lord’s.
“Replacing someone who performed so well with Mark Wood is a big, big positive for us,” said Stokes. “Tongue was bowling high 80s last week, so to have someone who can bowl high 90s is pretty exciting. I think as well with that Woody’s not just an out and out bloke who runs in and tries to hit people. He is a very skilful bowler as well.”
Australia are likely to make two changes, with Todd Murphy replacing the injured Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland in for Josh Hazlewood. Cameron Green did not train on Wednesday due to his heavy workload but is not thought to be a doubt.”
What Australia are saying
Todd Murphy, the Australia spinner, is bracing himself for an Ashes baptism of fire on his first visit to England as he prepares for all-out aggression from the home batsmen and crowd at Headingley.
Murphy, 22, made an impression in his first four Tests, taking 14 wickets (including Virat Kohli four times) in India earlier this year, but has been tasked with the filling Nathan Lyon’s vast shoes after Australia’s finest off-spinner was ruled out of the series with a calf tear.
Murphy appears certain to come in for Lyon, as Australia mull whether to bring Scott Boland or perhaps even Michael Neser into their attack.
Murphy is aware that England’s batting order are unlikely to let him bowl over after over without being attacked. Lyon picked up nine wickets at 29.3 before his injury, but even he cost four runs per over.
“I’ve never been to England before so it’s all quite new,” Murphy admitted. “I think it’s being able to watch the first couple of Tests and the World Test Championship and gain some information about conditions, and how the game plays, the pace of play, you can take into account. It’s about trying to adapt to the wicket.
“I think they’ll probably come even harder at me [than Lyon]. Obviously I haven’t played a hell of a lot of Test cricket, there’s a challenge that presents itself. They keep taking the game on and I think it’s about trying to navigate through that, come up with a few different ideas that can help and try to keep creating chances.”
Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s means the Australians are likely to receive an even more hostile welcome than they usually do at Headingley.
“I think this might be a bit different to the Indian crowds,” he said. “They made a lot of noise but were all quite friendly.
“From speaking to the boys, this is probably the most hostile ground you get in England. I’m quite looking forward to it if I do get the opportunity, having grown up watching Ashes cricket. It’s going to be different and I’m sure they won’t hold back, so just embrace it and try to have a good time… everyone’s under no illusions it’s going to come pretty hard.”
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