Aware that Australia allowed England to recover from a 2-0 deficit in the previous Ashes series, all-rounder Cameron Green stated on Sunday that there was no place for complacency in the third Test this week.
Prior to the hosts winning two of the final three Test matches and drawing the other, Australia dominated England in 2023, winning at Edgbaston and Lord’s. Pat Cummins’ team retained the Ashes as holders even though the series ended in a 2-2 draw.
“That’s a good reminder for our team to stay really level,” Green told reporters ahead of the third Test at the Adelaide Oval starting on Wednesday.
“I think you can at times look a bit far ahead, but that’s a great reminder for us to stay as good as we can be and finish it off.”
After eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane, Australia has the advantage at home, and England hasn’t won in Australia since their 2010–11 trip. Ben Stokes’ team has come under significant media scrutiny because of their apparent lack of preparation and lack of fight.
On Saturday, as the squad was leaving Brisbane airport for Adelaide, a security guard had an altercation with a cameraman. Photographs appear to show him shoving the Channel Seven operator away.
Green expressed sympathy with England.
“You never like getting filmed, especially when you want to get away from it. There’s always sympathy for anyone in life that’s getting filmed in public or in a private space, it’s never a nice feeling,” he said.
Australia opener Usman Khawaja claimed to have recovered from the back spasms that had afflicted him during the entire series.
The 38-year-old did not open in the first Test, scoring just two runs when batting at number four in the first innings. Travis Head and Jake Weatherald both performed admirably in the second innings. But it’s unclear if he will return to the top.
“I’m feeling 100 (percent),” he told reporters on Saturday. “Obviously, I hope to play. I don’t really know.”
The 85-Test veteran Khawaja could still bat in the middle order if selectors decide to start Head and Weatherald, which would probably need Josh Inglis to step aside.
