PERTH (AFP) - England won the toss and chose to bat against Australia on Thursday s opening day of the third Ashes Test in Perth, which has been rocked by a match-fixing controversy.
Australia lead the five-Test series 2-0 and can reclaim the urn with victory at the WACA Ground, and England captain Joe Root wasn t prepared to risk sending in the home side again after it backfired in the second Test at Adelaide.
England retained the same 11 beaten by 120 runs in Adelaide.
Australia made one change, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh coming in for batsman Peter Handscomb, who averages almost 50 in Test cricket but battled form and technical woes in the first two matches. Australian captain Steve Smith said it was a decision made due to the desire to have another bowling option.
"He (Handscomb) is unlucky to miss out," he said. "But stats here in recent years have shown we ve done a lot of bowling." Marsh has yet to fire at Test level and is on the comeback trail after a serious shoulder injury.
There has been plenty of controversy and acrimony leading up to the third Test. Much of it has centred on spicy on-field banter between the sides, and a spate of off-field booze-related incidents have dogged the English as well, leading to frustration for Root.
But it was also rocked Thursday by British newspaper claims that it had been targeted by match-fixers. The International Cricket Council said it did not believe the match had been tainted.
It will be the final Ashes Test at the unique WACA Ground, once famed for its pace and bounce but about to be superseded by a new stadium just across the Swan River. England have only won one Test at the WACA since the first Ashes clash here in 1970, with the home side having won nine Ashes Tests, including the last seven, and three draws.
Teams: Australia - David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.
England: Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (capt), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Craig Overton, James Anderson.
Umpires: Marais Erasmus (RSA), Chris Gaffaney (NZL).
TV umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK).
Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS).
