With Manchester in for a wet weekend, England captain Ben Stokes said he was open to gambling during the game as they have to win again to force a series decider at The Oval.

“With the weather that’s predicted, it might bring more out of us again knowing that we might have to push the game on even more than we normally do,” Stokes said.

It rained in Manchester most of Tuesday and was to clear early Wednesday. But rain was forecast to return on Saturday.

England named their side on Monday and made only one change, bringing back James Anderson at his home ground for Ollie Robinson.

Anderson has only three wickets at an average of 75 from the first two Tests, but Stokes said his value wasn’t only in wickets.

“When you’re a quality performer like Jimmy has been for the last 10 years, he is going to be disappointed that he’s not contributed to the team like he normally does,” Stokes said.

“But I did say to him, ‘Even if you’re not taking wickets like you want to be doing, at the other end you see the pressure you’re putting on the opposition.’

“He holds an end up without that being his main obligation with the ball. You don’t get as many wickets as him without having the odd bad game here and there — there’s no issues whatsoever with Jimmy.”

Moeen Ali, who batted third in the order in the second innings at Headingley, will continue to fill that role in Manchester.

Australia won the first two Tests, while England hit back in the third.

With inputs from AP/PTI