England have made a bold selection call ahead of the third Ashes Test, recalling tall fast bowler Josh Tongue to the playing XI for the crucial clash starting December 17 at the Adelaide Oval. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, Tongue replaces Gus Atkinson, whose struggles with the ball have forced England into a change as they look to revive their Ashes campaign on Australian soil.
Atkinson endured a complex series, managing just three wickets across 54 overs at an alarming average of 78.66, the worst among England’s bowlers so far. With the visitors desperate for penetration and consistency, the team management turned to Tongue, backing his ability to extract bounce and generate wickets. The decision underlines England’s intent to add a sharper edge to their pace attack in a must-win Test.
Tongue arrives with strong credentials. Earlier this year, he was England’s leading wicket-taker in the home series against India, picking up 19 wickets in just three matches. His standout performance included a five-wicket haul at The Oval, which showcased his knack for breakthroughs.
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Although Matthew Potts was also in contention, England opted for Tongue as their primary strike bowler, prioritising wicket-taking ability over containment. In the batting department, England have continued to show faith in Ollie Pope, despite an inconsistent run in the series. The right-hander has scored 105 runs from two Tests at an average of 26.25.
⬅️ Gus Atkinson
➡️ Josh TongueWe’ve made one change to our starting XI for the third Test in Adelaide 📋
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 15, 2025
Former captain Michael Atherton had floated Jacob Bethell as a possible alternative at No.3, but the selectors resisted the temptation to reshuffle the order, retaining Pope for the Adelaide Test.
England have also stuck with Will Jacks, leaving off-spinner Shoaib Bashir out of the XI, even though Adelaide is widely considered the most spin-friendly surface of the series. Bashir has not played a Test since his memorable outing at Lord’s earlier this year.
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History is firmly against England. They have not won a Test in Australia since the 2010–11 Ashes, losing 15 of their last 17 matches Down Under. To stay alive in the series, victory in Adelaide is non-negotiable.
England playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue
