Crawley confident England can close Ashes on a high
The right-hander believes the belief gained in Melbourne can drive another positive performance as England aim to close the series strongly.
England opener Zak Crawley says England are determined to carry forward the momentum from their historic Boxing Day Test victory as they look to finish the Ashes series with intent in the final Test in Sydney.
The win in Melbourne has lifted confidence within the group, with Crawley highlighting the importance of ending the series positively after a challenging tour.
"I think there's a big difference just internally in the group," Crawley said when asked the difference between losing 4-1 or 3-2.
"It just shows a lot about our group and how united we are if we can get a win.
"It might not go our way, but if we can put up a good performance this week, that says a lot about the group," he added.
That confidence is set to be reflected in England’s approach on the field, with Crawley indicating the batters will put pressure on Australia’s spinner Todd Murphy, if he is selected for the series finale.
"Whoever plays, I think that's the mantra of our team, is to try and put pressure on people," Crawley said.
"Todd's a very good bowler, but I can envisage us trying to put some pressure on him, like we would all their bowlers,” he added.
Murphy is in contention to play his first Test in Australia, having previously featured only in England and Asia, while England are also weighing up their own spin options for the final match, with Shoaib Bashir included in the squad for Sydney.
England’s aggressive batting was a defining feature of their approach to the fourth innings chase at Melbourne, and Crawley’s comments suggest that mindset will remain unchanged as they look to end the Ashes campaign on a positive note.
England XII: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
Ashes schedule:
First Test: Perth Stadium, November 21-22 (Australia won by eight wickets)
Second Test: Gabba, December 4-7 (Australia won by eight wickets)
Third Test: Adelaide Oval, December 17-21 (Australia won by 82 runs)
Fourth Test: MCG, December 26-30 (England won by 4 wickets)
Fifth Test: SCG, January 4-8
