Bopara wants to seal number three spot

Ravi Bopara feels he can solve England’s number three dilemma by batting at one drop position in the Ashes series this summer. 

Bopara has been seen more as a one-day specialist but the Essex all-rounder has had short stints at the Test level as well. 

He said that although he would like to bat lower down the order, he is contesting for the number three spot that seems open. 

“A little bit yes I see us competing probably for that number three spot which is open at the moment," Bopara told Sky Sports. 

"Ian Bell, watching him play, he's been playing awesome at the moment so there is a bit of competition which is good healthy competition. 

"Owais Shah is a good mate of mine and I'd love to see him have an opportunity and see him score some runs and play well in Test match cricket, but I guess we are competing I have to be honest." 

Bopara says coming in at number four would be his ideal spot in the England batting line-up, but that place is occupied by Kevin Pietersen. 

With Paul Collingwood also cemented in at five, Bopara accepts it is three or nothing, and he insists he can fill that position even against the champion side like Australia. 

"Ideally I'd want to bat four in Test match cricket, so Pietersen has to move, he can go to three and I'll come in at four!" he added. 

"Ideally I'd want to bat four, but those spots are taken, Kevin Pietersen is England's best batter so you can't move him from there, then Paul Collingwood has been getting a whole heap of runs at five. 

"But I think I can bat at three, why not? I do it for my county so why can't I do it for England?" 

Included in the Test squad as cover for Andrerw Flintoff, who was struggling with a hip injury, Bopara scored his maiden Test century (104) in the fourth Test in the recently concluded Test series against the West Indies.