Bell eyes 'big runs' in Birmingham

Bell has had a disappointing Ashes series to date, contributing scores of one, 60, one and 11 in the first two matches coming in at four, while he has only scored one Test century in the last year.

That had led to speculation about Bell's future but England have opted to stick with the 33-year-old Warwickshire batsman for this week's third Test and have promoted him up a place as Gary Ballance makes way.

Bell is well aware he needs to improve and how important this week's Test is for him, but he is hopeful he can rediscover his best form in Birmingham.

He told Sky Sports: " It's an opportunity to go out there and do something a little bit different. We've obviously changed a little bit there, and hopefully it's an opportunity to go and score some big runs."

England have had plenty of problems at the top of the order against Australia, with opener Adam Lyth averaging less than 13 and Ballance under 25.

Bell's own average in the series is 18 but England decided to drop Ballance for his in-form Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow and move the Warwickshire man up a spot.

Bell, who was the leading scorer on either side in the 2013 Ashes in England with 562 runs at 62, knows he can ill afford another failure as question marks about his place in the England team hang over him.

He added: "I' m realistic. I also know that I haven't performed how I'd expect an England player to perform, certainly over the last six weeks, so it's an important Test match there's no doubt.

"I still believe that when I'm playing at my best I'm a world-class player and I'm desperate for the kind of runs that come with being a top-order player for England, but I've known over a long time with England that your job is to score runs.

"I know that I haven't done that to my capability over the last six or seven Test matches, and hopefully this is the start of me kicking on and going forward again."