Ashes 2023: Ben Stokes and co fight it out in Manchester to keep the series alive

England won the toss and chose to bowl first in the fourth Ashes cricket test against Australia on Wednesday.

Australia leads the five-match series 2-1 and can retain the Ashes with a victory or a draw at Old Trafford.

A revived England prevailed in the third test, though, cutting Australia’s lead and raising hopes of an epic fightback to win the series for the first time since 2015. However, England must still win both remaining tests at Old Trafford and the Oval in London to take back the famous urn.

England made one change to the lineup that clinched a nail-biter at Headingley by three wickets 10 days ago, bringing back veteran seam bowler James Anderson to play at his home ground in place of Ollie Robinson.

Australia has retained Mitchell Marsh in the middle order after his first-innings century at Leeds and brought fellow allrounder Cameron Green and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood back into its lineup. Green and Hazlewood replace Scott Boland and Todd Murphy, with Murphy’s omission leaving the Aussies with no specialist spinner for the crucial game.

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Lineups:

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (captain), Josh Hazlewood.