England's new blueprint built on bump and grind

England captain Joe Root has revealed it was the lessons learned long before Ben Stokes turned match-winner in the final hour at Headingley that convinced him to reconfigure his misfiring top-order batting.

Root phoned incumbent No.4 batter Joe Denly last weekend to advise he would be elevated to opener in the fourth Ashes Test that begins at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Denly's promotion comes at the expense of World Cup hero Jason Roy, who has struggled to fill the unfamiliar role in the long-form game having averaged just 9.5 across his six Ashes innings to date.

However, rather than conceding the move – which was mooted prior to the Headingley Test but dismissed by Root, who solidly supported Roy – was an admission the ploy had not worked, the England captain claimed it took shape on the penultimate day of the third Test.

That was when Denly, who has previously opened in Test cricket but has also faced problems against Australia's pace attack in the middle-order, posted his maiden Ashes half-century in a dogged partnership with Root.

The England skipper indicated it was Denly's 50 scored in almost four hours that helped wear down Australia's three-man pace bowling unit and paved the way for Stokes to launch his extraordinary counter-punch a day later, that changed his mind.

When asked on Test eve in Leeds about suggestions from England coach Trevor Bayliss that Roy was better suited to the middle-order, Root noted bluntly "I obviously think he should open otherwise he’ll be batting at four".

Less than a fortnight later, the England captain was preaching an altogether different gospel.

"We’ve thought long and hard about it, and we feel like we’ve got the right players but maybe reshuffling it is going to be what really works for us and get us off to a strong start," Root said.

"You look at someone like Jason (Roy) coming in lower down and the ability to play in his manner, a little bit more freely when (the ball's) not doing as much might give him a better chance.

"I thought the way Joe (Denly) handled day three (at Headingley), the way he played, he can harness that and take it into this week he’ll have a really good chance of being successful at the top.”

Image Id: 5883486BDB3C47A49CC2D176EC28DCD6 Image Caption: England's skipper Joe Root at Old Trafford // Getty

As much as the shift in strategy reflects the case put forward by Denly at Headingley, it also highlights the methodology that England sees as paramount to regaining the Ashes.

The initial rationale for employing the fast-scoring Roy at the top of the innings was to get England away to the sort of start that Australia has often enjoyed through David Warner.

But the deficiencies in Roy's technique coupled with the effects that England saw flow from keeping Australia's three-man pace attack in the field for 125 overs at Headingley has prompted the altered thinking.

Root now believes that by having three of their more technically competent players filling the top three berths, they can potentially force the Australia quicks into third and fourth spells.

And as the ball becomes commensurately softer and the bowlers ever-more fatigued, it sets the stage for power hitters Roy, Bairstow and Jos Buttler and even Chris Woakes or Sam Curran to take control in the middle-lower order.

"It was a good template, that second innings (at Headingley)," Root said.

"I just felt (against) a three-man seam attack, if you keep on putting overs in …

"As well as Australia bowled and they were fantastic - very patient, didn’t give us much and it was a real grind. But if you look at how that second new-ball unfolded the following day, more scoring opportunities came.

"That partnership between Ben (Stokes) and Jonny (Bairstow – 86 from 21.4 overs) started to speed up quite quickly, didn’t it?

"We look at the guys who could potentially take advantage of that now, at four (Roy), five (Stokes), six (Bairstow) and seven (Buttler), it's a very exciting lower order.

"It’s about maximising the chance for them to do as much damage as possible."

While the shuffling of England's batting order is discretionary, Australia's revamp is enforced.

The return of Steve Smith after overcoming the effects of concussion coupled with the form shown by his replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, in his absence has seen Usman Khawaja squeezed out.

It is expected that Labuschagne will slot directly into the No.3 berth vacated by Khawaja, but both he and Smith have experienced their difficulties against the short-pitched bowling of England quick Jofra Archer.

Root said the inclusion of Archer, who made his Test debut in the second Ashes match at Lord's, has afforded him greater flexibility with his bowling plans and added an important fear factor that England lacked in the series opener at Edgbaston.

It also ensures an extra layer of intrigue to an already compelling fourth Test, with Smith resuming his battle with Archer, who forced the ex-Australia captain out of the Headingley Test due to the blow he suffered to the left side of his neck.

"There’s going to be a lot of hype around it, a lot of noise about that individual battle and it’s exciting," Root said.

"It makes for great Test cricket and I’m sure everyone in the ground or watching on TV will be glued to that scenario.

"Since Jof’s come into the side it’s added a different dimension to our bowling group.

"We feel like we’ve got a few plans in place for Steve, but he’s a good player and it’ll be interesting to see how he comes out and plays him (Archer)."

Root pointed out the narrative of the series seemed to change when Archer entered his second spell on day four at Lord's and immediately attacked Smith (then on 66) with a series of brutal short balls.

On a two-paced pitch that made it difficult for batters to judge which balls to play and those to evade, Smith was struck several times on the upper body and played as many risky strokes that fell just wide of fielders before Archer struck him on the neck and he retired hurt.

Root admits he saw something in that plan of attack to the recently re-installed number-one Test batter to encourage him to keep pursuing it when the individual tussle resumes at Old Trafford.

"It felt like when we went to that with Jof at Lord’s, on that surface, it looked like – in terms of taking wickets – a very threatening option," Root said of England's plans against Smith.

"There were a couple (of Smith's strokes) that just evaded the fielders, and we had men either out (on the boundary rope) or three-quarters back.

"Whether he (Smith) plays it slightly differently here, we’ll have to wait and see but that’s the beauty of Test cricket.

"It’s not always one way that’s going to work, and that’s why you try and get different combinations in your attack to try and work different guys out.

"It might be that (spinner) Jack Leach comes into the game against him, it might be that Stuart (Broad) gets him right on the money or Chris Woakes, whoever it is that plays.

"Or he (Smith) might make a bad judgment call.

"He’s human, just like everyone else."

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Chris Woakes.

First Test: Australia won by 251 runs at Edgbaston

Second Test: Match drawn at Lord's

Third Test: England won by one wicket at Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval