agence france-presse
Manchester, 31 July 
Australia are pondering whether to recall controversial batsman David Warner for their must-win third Ashes Test against England at Old Trafford starting tomorrow.
Top-order batting has long been Australia’s Achilles heel and so it proved in a crushing 347-run second Test defeat at Lord’s, where the tourists were skittled out for just 128 in their first innings.
England lead the five-match series 2-0 and Australia need to win in Manchester if their hopes of regaining the Ashes are not to be extinguished — a drawn series would see holders England retain the urn.
Warner missed the first two Tests of the current series having been suspended in the run-up to the Ashes for punching England’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar after Australia lost a Champions Trophy match to their arch-rivals last month.  Instead the 26-year-old opener joined up with Australia A for whom he made 193 against South Africa A in Pretoria last week before becoming embroiled in a sledging row with the home side’s wicketkeeper. Former Australia captain Ian Chappell is adamant that, if selected, Warner must open as that would give him the best chance of imposing his game on England’s bowlers.
But that would mean Australia coach Darren Lehmann having to give up on at least half of his chosen first-wicket duo of Shane Watson and Chris Rogers.
A middle order berth could be found for Warner if Australia drop Phil Hughes or Steven Smith fails to recover in time from a back injury that saw him miss training Tuesday.
For Rogers, who has scored just 89 runs in four innings this series, the example of former Australia opener Justin Langer, a team-mate at Western Australia, is one he hopes to follow in Manchester.
“It’s just to fight,” Rogers said Tuesday. “There were times playing at WA, and we weren’t doing so well, and that was Justin Langer’s motto.”
England have called up left-armer Monty Panesar into their squad to supplement the off-breaks of Graeme Swann, joint leading bowler in the series alongside England spearhead James Anderson with 13 wickets. Complacency and Kevin Pietersen’s calf-injury appear to be England’s two biggest current problems.
Meanwhile, Pakistan great Wasim Akram said that  England’s James Anderson is the best bowler currently operating in world cricket.