Former captain Steve Waugh has re-joined the Australian team as a mentor for the remaining two Tests of the Ashes series against England to pep up the confidence level of the visitors after the Headingley debacle. Australia were on the brink of an Ashes victory before throwing it away on the fourth day of the third Test at Leeds on August 25, failing to stop Ben Stokes (135-, who stitched 76 runs with number 11 batsman Jack Leach. Waugh arrived in Manchester on Sunday night ahead of the fourth Test at Old Trafford starting on Wednesday, returning to the Australian camp after being part of the first two Tests (in Birmingham and London) as a mentor. Waugh has held similar mentoring positions with other sporting teams, including Australia's Olympic team for the 2008 Games in Beijing and 2012 in London.

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Steve Waugh returns to mentor Australia

"We asked him to stay for the third Test, but he had to go back (home) for a function. To come back after such a long time away from the game, his passion and enthusiasm for the game has been brilliant and it's going to be great," Australia head coach Justin Langer said. "Guys like 'Punter' (Ponting) and Steve Waugh, not only have they got a great presence within the group but they're great psychologists as well. They've been in the cauldron before, they've seen it before," Langer was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

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"A lot of my work is done in the nets or in the hotel or going for a walk in the morning. It's observing with fresh eyes and if I can get the players more confident and relaxed, I see that as my role," Waugh had said after the Lord's Test. "And also for the coaching staff and people around the team, sometimes you're with the same people for a long period of time and you do the same things over and over again. It's good for someone to come in and just check it out from a different point of view and see things a little bit differently." As it stands after three Tests, the 2019 Ashes is locked at 1-1 and it has been 18 years since Australia won the urn in England

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Joe Denly confirms he will open for England

Joe Denly will open the batting for England in the fourth Ashes Test with the struggling Jason Roy to drop down the order, the batsman told the BBC on Monday. England will hope that Denly can add some solidity with Rory Burns when the fourth Test gets underway at Old Trafford on Wednesday, as the latter's Surrey team-mate Roy has accumulated just 62 runs in the three Tests so far. Roy, who has failed to adapt to the five-day format since the World Cup-winning campaign earlier in the season, will drop down to four. Denly scored his first half century of the series in England's miraculous run chase in the third Test, inspired by Ben Stokes, which leveled the five-match series at 1-1. "I got a call from (captain) Joe Root after a bit of time off and he said he'd like me to go at the top of the order and try to get us off to a good start," Denly told BBC Radio. Denly made scores of six and 17 as an opener on his Test debut against the West Indies in January before dropping down the order. But he thinks his partnership with Rory Burns could enable Roy to attack the Australian bowling.

"Obviously Jason is going to bat four and that's great for English cricket," said the 33-year-old Denly. "With Jason Roy in the team we are a better team and with him coming in at four, hopefully with the new ball worn off and myself and Rory Burns doing our job at the top, it allows him to come in and play his way. He's a great player to have there." 

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