Joe Root could be England's No 3 for the Ashes as Trevor Bayliss hints at top order rethink ahead of Australia

Bringing in anyone new for the Ashes is a non-starter and going back to players who have previously failed such as Gary Ballance and Keaton Jennings is also an unattractive proposition

Joe Root could move up the order in Australia to solve England's top order batting woes (Getty)

Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, has indicated Joe Root may move up the batting order to No 3 for this winter’s Ashes series in Australia.

Root requested to move down to four when taking over the Test captaincy from Alastair Cook earlier this year having occupied the pivotal No 3 position from the start of last summer.

The 26-year-old has been in fine form since making the switch, with fears about the captaincy affecting his batting assuaged by an average of 60.75 during the series wins against South Africa and West Indies. However, England’s top-order worries remain, with Tom Westley unable to convince at three in his first five Tests.

The Essex batsman is highly-rated by England and even though he averages just 24.12, they were impressed by the way he handled the pressure of what appeared a final chance in Test cricket when he scored an unbeaten 44 to help England chase down 107 and win the series decider against West Indies at Lord’s on Saturday.

So rather than persevering with Westley in a position he is struggling in, England may move him down to four and promote Root to a position Bayliss feels is best suited to his captain.

Bringing in anyone new for the Ashes is a non-starter and going back to players who have previously failed such as Gary Ballance and Keaton Jennings is also an unattractive proposition for the selectors.

Root enjoyed another fine summer with the bat (Getty)

It means Bayliss is likely to try and convince Root to move from a position he clearly prefers for the good of the team, with the Australian indicating his captain has already floated the idea this summer.

“I would always have him at three,” said Bayliss. “It depends just as much who the No 3 coming in is. Is he a No 3 or is he a No 4? I know that’s putting the cart before the horse a bit but my view is that Joe is comfortable batting at four. He has asked the question over the last few Tests and I think he will end up at three at some stage in the future because he is by far our best player and personally I believe that is where your best player should be.

“Joe has done well at four and he feels comfortable there. If that’s where your best player feels comfortable and is scoring runs at No 4 then that’s the other side of the argument - why change? But we still have to find someone who can do the job.”

England’s batting is the biggest headache ahead of the selection of the Ashes squad at the end of this month.

Root was one of few positives from a difficult summer for the top order (AFP/Getty Images)

Bayliss, though, believes all three rookie batsmen with questions over their places – opener Mark Stoneman, Westley, and Dawid Malan – are likely to be on the plane to Australia.

“That's the big question - whether the three guys we have been speaking about all summer have done enough,” he said.

“I am sure they would have loved as much as we would for them to come out and make a couple of hundreds and then there’s nothing to talk about. They have shown that they are good enough but are they good enough for long enough are they tough enough especially for an Ashes series?

“We will be discussing other players that we have had in the team over the last 12 to 18 months. They will get a hearing but these three guys - it will be hard to go past them.”

England have work to do ahead of the Ashes series (Getty)

Despite the questions over the top order, Bayliss remains confident about England’s Ashes chances and argues Australia have their own problems.

“I think our opposition in the Ashes is far from stable either,” he said. “When it comes to England v Australia in the Ashes I don’t think any previous series are going to matter too much. It will be what happens there and then. We are not going over to make up the numbers. We are going to leave here with a view to win, simple as that.

“We have played some good cricket at times and some not great cricket at times but we are not the only team in the world that does that. One thing this group has got is plenty of fight and character.”

Root and Bayliss know their batting line-up needs work (Getty)

Bayliss has also indicated England will not appoint a full-time bowling coach to replace Ottis Gibson, who has left to become South Africa’s head coach, until next summer.

It is also likely that Chris Silverwood and Richard Johnson, two English candidates to fill the position, will work with England during the upcoming one-day series against West Indies.

“We are going to get some guys in that have expressed some interest in the job to get them involved so we that we can see them and they can get a feel for it,” said Bayliss. “Quite possibly there will not be a full-time replacement until next summer.”

That means a part-time consultant will be brought in for the winter, with South African Allan Donald, who has been working with Kent this summer, one option.