"Show a bit of dog": England told to fire up with Ashes on the line

With The Ashes on the line, England have made one change to their starting XI for the Third Test as captain Ben Stokes called for his side to "show a bit of dog" in Adelaide.

Pace bowler Gus Atkinson has been dropped, with the visitors selecting fellow pace bowler Josh Tongue in his spot.

This means that despite plenty of speculation about whether he would be dropped in favour of Jacob Bethell, Ollie Pope has maintained his spot at No. 3.

Tongue, who is 28 years old, has played six Test matches, with the majority having been during the northern summer when they played India this year.

During that series, the fast-medium bowler took 19 wickets, which was the most by an Englishman. His Test bowling average is 30.

After the second Test defeat at the Gabba, Stokes said there was "no space for weak men" in his side.

Four days of rest in Noosa and time away from the field, Stokes believes his messages has had time to settle among his teammates and he is confident fans will see change in Adelaide.

“I’ve done all the talking over the last two days that I needed to,” said Stokes. “What needed to be said has been said.

"Everyone’s very switched on for what needs to be done this week. A few more expectations, I think, around the group, but everyone responded incredibly well to it, because what other option do we have?

“It’s just trying to fight in every situation that you find yourself in and understanding the situation and what you feel is required for your team.

"Just look at your opposition every single time and show a bit of dog. That’s fight to me.

“That (Lord’s) has been brought up. That’s exactly what I’m on about. That was a moment where we all identified that moment. And you’ve seen the way that team came out on that day.

"We were probably in a situation that day where we had to be absolutely perfect to win that game and we were. And on the back of attitude, mentality towards that specific situation is what gave us the best chance of winning that game. That India game was spoken about, and the rest of the series.”

The third Test will take place from December 17, with SEN having LIVE coverage of every ball bowled available through its radio network and on the SEN app.

England's starting XI for Adelaide

1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Harry Brook
6. Ben Stokes (c)
7. Jamie Smith (wk)
8. Will Jacks
9. Brydon Carse
10. Jofra Archer
11. Josh Tongue