New England Test captain Ben Stokes has confirmed that Joe Root will be moving back down the order to number four this summer, having batted at number three in the recent series defeat to the West Indies.
Although Root did score two hundreds at three in the Caribbean, Stokes believes the Yorkshireman is best suited at four. Root has scored 14 of his 25 Test hundreds at four and averages over 50, whereas he averages below 40 at three.
Speaking last week, Stokes said: "I've already spoken with him. I've asked him to go back to four and I'm going to be at six. Wherever Joe bats he gets runs, but his best position is at four.
"I feel him at four and me at six gives us a bit of experience in the gap. So you can obviously see where the places are opening up for people to put their hands up: it's three and five."
With that in mind, Mirror Sport has taken a look at five players who could bat at three for England this summer.
Dawid Malan
Malan batted at three during the Ashes, impressing at the start of the series with a pair of fifties in impressive partnerships with Root. However, his form dropped off in the final three Tests after Christmas and he was dropped for the West Indies series when Root was promoted.
This season, Malan has made a good start for Yorkshire and will surely be in contention for a recall. He is currently the third leading run scorer in division one of the County Championship, having scored 482 runs at 80.33. At the age of 34 and with 22 Test caps, Malan would offer some much-needed experience to the top three.
Josh Bohannon
He was on the cusp of a call-up for the West Indies series after an impressive season last year which saw him score 853 runs at 53.31. Although Bohannon batted primarily at number four that year, he has been Lancashire's number three this season.
And he is currently averaging 76.50 in the County Championship, having made a brilliant 231 at number three against Gloucestershire. With a career average of 46.68, Bohannon is an outstanding candidate to bat at three if England want to introduce a new face.
Dan Lawrence
The 24-year-old impressed at number four in the West Indies with some unselfish batting as England pushed for wins in the first two Tests and could be a candidate to bat at three, having done so in two Tests against India last year.
However, number five would be a more natural fit for the stroke maker, with it now confirmed that Root will move to four and Stokes will move to six. Lawrence has also struggled so far this season for Essex, averaging just 19.60 and missing the last two games with an injury.
Jonny Bairstow
He has done well since getting recalled during the Ashes, with hundreds in Sydney and Antigua. Although Bairstow has been batting at number six in his last five Tests, he has featured at number three before, notably scoring a brilliant hundred against Sri Lanka in 2018.
With Stokes returning to six, Bairstow is more likely to either move up to five or get handed the gloves again. However, aged 32 and with 83 Test caps, he could be used as a stopgap option at three.
James Bracey
The 25-year-old endured a horrific start to his Test career with just eight runs and two ducks in three innings against New Zealand last year when parachuted in after wicketkeeper Ben Foakes suffered an injury.
However, Bracey made an impressive hundred for England Lions against Australia A batting at three in December and began the season with back-to-back tons for Gloucestershire against Northamptonshire and Yorkshire.
