James Anderson dropped as England name playing XI for 3rd Ashes 2023 vs Australia

Veteran England pacer James Anderson has been dropped from England's playing XI for the 3rd test at Leeds.

Australia have won the first two games of the five-match Ashes 2023 against England. They won the first game by two wickets and then followed it up with a 43-run win over the hosts in the second game at Lord's. The third game is set to take place at Leeds starting on July 6. It will be the last chance for Ben Stokes and his men to win the game and stay alive in the series.

If Australia win it or the game ends in a draw, then Pat Cummins and his men will retain the Ashes. As a result, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has made some notable changes in the playing XI for the third test. They have made three changes to the team that played at Lord's. One big change they have made is dropping veteran pacer James Anderson, who didn't have a great performance in the first two matches.

Chris Woakes replaces James Anderson for third test against Australia

The highest wicket-taker for England in test history, James Anderson has looked below par in the first two games. As a result, he faced the axe in the third game. The veteran pacer played two matches and only took three wickets at an average of 75.33. He will be replaced by pace-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes, who was in contention for the second game as well.

Apart from James Anderson, two more changes have been made to the playing XI. Vice-captain Ollie Pope, who suffered a shoulder injury in the second game, has been replaced by Moeen Ali, who will play the role of specialist spinner and strengthen the batting order. The third change saw Josh Tongue, who picked up five wickets at Lord's, replaced by speedster Mark Wood. The hosts are desperate for a win.

It will be a must-win situation for England. Notably, this was the first time England lost consecutive games since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over the charge. After the loss in the second game, the English captain said that they need three wins, and the team has done it in the past, so they are confident about it. On the other hand, Australia will enter the third test with full confidence and hope to win it to wrap up the series.

England's Playing XI for Third Test vs AUS: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad.