Ashes: Atherton rooting for Root

England mull over replacements for Trott at number three

SYDNEY: Mike Atherton said on Tuesday that Joe Root was the obvious replacement at number three for troubled Jonathan Trott.

The former England captain said Root had proved he could handle fiery paceman Mitchell Johnson in the tense climax of the first Ashes Test to survive on 26 not out.

“I thought Root played really well at the dying end of the Test at the Gabba; I thought he looked really solid,” said Atherton.

“He played Mitchell Johnson well, he looked compact, he got a nice stride into the ball.”

Atherton said this made Root the obvious choice to move up the order from six to replace Trott, who dramatically left the Ashes tour of Australia on Monday with a ‘stress-related illness’.

While Atherton favours Root at three, another former England skipper Nasser Hussain threw his support behind Ian Bell, who has long batted at five.

“Bell is a high-class, experienced player with lots of touch,” said Hussain. “He’s got runs against Australia of late and he is the obvious man to move up to number three.”

Anderson threatened to punch Bailey: Warne

Spin great Shane Warne said a threat by Jimmy Anderson to punch debutant George Bailey sparked the furious reaction by Australian skipper Michael Clarke in the first Test against England.

Clarke was fined 20% of his match fee on Monday after being caught by a stump microphone telling the fast bowler to expect a broken arm in the final stages of the match.

The usually mild-mannered Clarke also wagged his finger in a close-up confrontation with the England quick, a renowned sledger, with the umpires needing to step in to cool tempers.

“I think it’s a disgrace that Clarke has been fined,” Warne posted on Twitter. “What about what Jimmy Anderson said to Bailey, which wasn’t heard.

“Clarke stuck up for his debutant Bailey as he should have after Anderson said he wanted to punch Bailey in the face.”