Moeen Ali, England’s veteran all-rounder, might return to the Ashes lineup, according to spin-bowling coach Jeetan Patel. The upcoming third Ashes Test, slated to start on June 6 at Headingley, could witness this much-anticipated comeback. To note, Moeen had sustained a bowling finger injury during the first Ashes Test, which prevented his participation in the second match at Lord’s.
During the match at Lord’s, in the absence of Moeen Ali, Joe Root had to lead the spin department. However, Australia demonstrated their dominance over England, highlighting the significant void left by the lack of a seasoned spinner.
Patel is optimistic about Moeen Ali’s progress, noting that the all-rounder has been bowling impressively in the nets. He anticipates a strong comeback for the player in the upcoming match. According to Patel, Moeen’s fingers are in good shape, and a few days of rest will contribute significantly to his robust return.
Patel stated, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, “We hope that in the next couple of days, Moeen gets to rest, and by the time we reach Headingley, he’s ready to go.” He continued, explaining the rigorous efforts to care for Moeen Ali’s injury, “His finger was quite disgusting at the end of the Test… we’ve tried to look after it as much as we can. It’s looking in really good shape; it’s healed really, really well.”
Moeen Ali, England’s veteran all-rounder, might return to the Ashes lineup, according to spin-bowling coach Jeetan Patel
Moeen Ali’s workload was also touched upon. “Mo hasn’t bowled 30 overs in a while, and there was always a risk in bringing him in,” Patel explained. Despite the challenges, Moeen readily agreed to step in, and the team was equally keen to have him
When asked about the best way to care for the fingers of a spinner, Patel opined that regular bowling was probably the best approach. This could pose a challenge for Moeen, who typically bowls four overs a game and hasn’t bowled with a Dukes ball for two years.
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Ben Stokes, the English skipper, had previously shared the team’s eagerness to have Moeen for the second Test. Unfortunately, the recovery timeline didn’t allow it. Moeen had bowled 47 overs across two innings at Edgbaston in the first Test, managing to claim three wickets for 204 runs. Despite the hurdles, the team, coach, and Moeen himself are hopeful for a triumphant return in the third Test.
