Nasser Hussain believes that England may have to change their batting order to have success in The Ashes later in the summer.
Alastair Cook and Adam Lyth opened the batting for the first Test against New Zealand, where Lyth struggled immensely on debut, while Gary Ballance also failed to make an impact despite his impressive record for the Three Lions.
Hussain feels that England may have to alter their lineup to allow a more attacking player to feature at number three to disrupt their opposition's opening bowlers.
He wrote in the Daily Mail: "The way Ben Stokes played against the second new ball at Lord's was a reminder of how effectively a counter-attack can disturb the bowlers' rhythm.
"When I look at England's left-handed top three of Alastair Cook, Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance, I have a slight concern about them sitting in rather than showing intent - although it may be too early to judge Lyth.
"All the best sides have a number three capable of counter-attacking and while we know Ballance can go through the gears, another option is to have Ian Bell at three - if he's in form - with Root at four and Ballance down at five. This isn't something England need to do just yet but they should stay open to the idea as the summer progresses."
The second Test of England's series against New Zealand starts at Headingley later today.
Simon Sinclair
