SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Joe Root and Ian Bell are the two candidates to replace Jonathan Trott at number three in the England batting order for this week’s second Ashes test in Adelaide, batting coach Graham Gooch said yesterday.
Trott returned to England with a stress-related illness after his team lost the opening test in Brisbane by a humbling 381 runs and his spot in the batting line-up has been the subject of much conjecture.
Bell, playing in the middle order, was widely regarded as the difference between the two sides in England’s 3-0 win at home in the first Ashes series of the year when he scored three centuries.
Root opened the batting with his captain Alastair Cook against Australia in England before dropping down to number six for the Gabba test, where he scored two and a determined 26 not out in his two innings.
