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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 Tongue: 31 wickets in 6 Tests, strike rate 44 balls
- 2🏆 Top England wicket-taker vs India summer 2025
- 3💡 High-arm action traps right-handers like Bumrah
- 4🔮 Adelaide win vital to salvage Ashes series
"England captain explains Gus Atkinson's omission as Shoaib Bashir is overlooked for spin-friendly Adelaide"
Josh Tongue earns a shock recall to the England XI for the crucial third Ashes 2025-26 Test in Adelaide, replacing struggling Gus Atkinson. With the series locked at 2-0 against them after defeats in Perth and Brisbane, Ben Stokes backs the 28-year-old's natural wicket-taking threat to fire up the seam attack.
Tongue's Strike Power Unleashed
Tongue slots in alongside Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse for new-ball duties, with Will Jacks holding his spot as the lone spinner despite Adelaide's turning track. The right-armer boasts 31 wickets in just six Tests at a strike rate of one every 44 balls, his high-arm release mimicking Jasprit Bumrah's angle to trap right-handers. Stokes hails his ability to force play, especially after heavy lifting against India this summer where he topped the charts.
Atkinson departs after pricey spells, while spinner Shoaib Bashir misses out again. Brendon McCullum stands firm on the top order, shutting down calls for Jacob Bethell. This lone tweak signals desperation in the City of Churches, where a batter-friendly Oval could spark England's fightback starting Wednesday.
"He's got that natural wicket-taking ability that is so hard to come by." — Ben Stokes
A win here keeps the urn dream alive for Stokes' bold Bazball era.
