'His batting's been a huge part of our team for a long period of time now so I think he would still play as a batter.'
England all-rounder Moeen Ali is a doubt for the second Ashes Test against Australia as he struggles to recover from a cut on his index finger, captain Joe Root said on Friday.
Moeen, whose bowling was affected by the cut during England's 10-wicket defeat at the Gabba, would probably be retained as a batsman at Adelaide Oval in the match starting Saturday even if were unable to bowl, said Root.
The skipper, however, would not rule out a potential Test debut for legspinner Mason Crane, depending on the conditions and if Moeen is deemed unfit to play.
"We'll have another look at things after practice and see how he is then and see if there's any more damage to it and then we'll have to make a decision from there," Root told reporters at Adelaide Oval.
"His batting's been a huge part of our team for a long period of time now so I think he would still play as a batter.
"I think we'll have to look at the situation with Moeen, see how bad it is, look at the conditions but it's definitely not out of the question," Root added, when asked about the possibility of a debut for 20-year-old Crane.
Moeen aside, Root said it is still too early to confirm whether his starting team is otherwise settled.
"Not just yet, I think it's important that we take everything into consideration," he said.
With England 1-0 down in the series, Root took some comfort in the damp conditions in Adelaide with rain likely to feature over the opening days of the first day-night Ashes Test.
"It's very English outside," he said.
"It's forecast to be damp and that should play into our hands."
