Stokes may enter Ashes cauldron

As England’s brains trust comes to terms with Trott’s return home to recover from a stress-related illness, team director Andy Flower was adamant no additions were immediately planned to his now 16-man squad.

The availability of three auxiliary batsmen in that complement means the batting opening will be filled by either Stokes, another uncapped player, Gary Ballance, or Jonny Bairstow, who lost his Test place at the end of this year’s Ashes series in England.

But given the lack of bowling penetration exhibited by all except Stuart Broad in Brisbane, and the likelihood of batsman-friendly conditions for the second Test in Adelaide, a number of expert England watchers believe 22-year-old Stokes looms as the best option.

Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison, who has played with Stokes at Durham, believes the right-arm seamer who played against Australia in the limited-overs series that followed the 2013 Ashes offers all-round qualities that the tourists badly require.

“They need an X-factor bowler and that allows them to play (spinner) Monty Panesar or (fast bowler) Steve Finn," Harmison told BBC Radio. "England are behind in the series, they need a wicket-taking bowler."

New Zealand-born Stokes, whose father Ged represented the Kiwis at rugby league, boasts a first-class average of 35 with the bat and has taken 110 wickets at 28.

Ballance, who was born in Zimbabwe and represented his birth nation at the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, failed to impress in his appearances at the crease at the start of England’s current tour.

And memories remain of his Yorkshire team-mate Bairstow’s battles against the hostile short-pitched bowling of West Indian Kemar Roach during the 2012 Test series, and his chance might come later in the tour as replacement wicketkeeper should incumbent Matt Prior’s struggles with the bat continue.

The decision on who should slot into the No3 batting berth has seen expert opinion divided between Ian Bell, who has established himself as one of Test cricket’s foremost No5 batsmen, and Joe Root, who was demoted from opener to No6 for the first Test in Brisbane.

Bell is no stranger to the highly-specialised role of first drop. He has batted at three 37 times for England, most recently during their 2012 series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

Prior to that, he scored a memorable double century at first drop against India at The Oval in 2011 and while his average further up the order is marginally inferior to his overall career return – almost 37 at number three compared to 46 overall – he is no stranger to the demands the role imposes.

Root, on the other hand, has batted at every top seven position except No3 in the course of his fledgling Test career.

But his experience against the new ball, most notably the 180 he scored in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s earlier this year, might convince England’s hierarchy to plump for minimal disruption by shifting him to Trott’s former berth and slotting the replacement batsman in at six.

Adding to that school of thought is Prior’s ongoing batting woes at No7, which means Bell’s stability at five is even more crucial should England lose early wickets as they did in Brisbane.

Former England captain Mike Atherton believes that Root showed sufficient mettle in his defiant and unbeaten innings on the final day in Brisbane to suggest he is up to the challenge.

“I thought he looked really solid," Atherton told Sky Sports. “He played Mitchell Johnson well, he looked compact, he got a nice stride into the ball.

"He also dealt with all of the verbals. It was a very intense passage of play and his angelic smile seemed to disarm Johnson as well.

"So I would move him up to No3; we keep shunting him up and down the order but playing for England, you've got to do what the selectors and the management would want.”

Harmison echoed Atherton’s assessment, saying: "I would not move Ian Bell to three because whoever comes in at six will be very young with few Test matches behind them. That would put vulnerability on the middle order."

However, another ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan believes Bell would be better suited as Trott’s top order replacement.

"The number three position is pivotal," Vaughan said. "I'd go with Ian Bell. I'd keep Root down at five and say to Bell: 'You're such a good player, take on the No3 role’.”