England vs. Australia, 4th Test: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

England head to Trent Bridge knowing victory in the fourth Test would see them regain the Ashes from Australia.

Alastair Cook's side moved into a 2-1 lead with a seven-wicket win at Edgbaston, Birmingham, that took them less than three days to complete.

However, Australia only needs to draw the five-match series to retain their grip on the miniature urn. They are the current holders of the trophy after recording a 5-0 sweep in 2013-14.

Both sides will hope for a more sporting pitch than the one prepared for the Test in Nottingham last year—only 29 wickets fell over the five days as England and India batted out a bore draw.

Date: Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015

Time: 11 a.m. BST (6 a.m. EST)

Venue: Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England

Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), Nine Network (Australia), SKY Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), STAR Sport (India), NowTV (UK Streaming Service)

Weather: Per BBC Weather, rain could cause interruptions early on the opening day of the match. Showers are also possible during the weekend, but the sun will generally be out for the majority of the match.

Overview

England claimed the upper hand again with a win at Edgbaston last time out.

Although this year they have followed up each of their four Test triumphs with a defeat, England's recent record at Trent Bridge offers their fans hope they can break the cycle.

India were the last visiting side to triumph in Nottingham, winning by seven wickets in the summer of 2007. In the six matches since then, however, the home side have won on five occasions and drawn the other.

Included in that unbeaten run is a victory over Australia in 2013. James Anderson took the final wicket in that game, but he will not be on duty at one of his favourite grounds this year.

The Lancashire seamer has been ruled out with a side strain he picked up while bowling on Day 2 in the third Test, per BBC Sport.

With the talisman of their attack ruled out, England will lean heavily on Stuart Broad—who needs just one more wicket to reach 300 in his Test career—to lead the way on his home ground. The Nottinghamshire bowler told Sky Sports the following:

"

It's about resetting our minds again this week.

It's going to be a slightly different attack with Jimmy missing out, but it's about making sure we are right on the money. 

Cooky [captain Alastair Cook] is very clear that it's all about us this week. It's about making sure our game plan is dead right and not to worry too much about what the Aussies are doing.

"

Anderson's place will be taken by one of Mark Wood, who played in the first two Tests but was left out at Edgbaston; Yorkshire's Liam Plunkett; or the uncapped left-armer Mark Footitt from Derbyshire.

Wood may be seen as the favourite to get the nod, but he has been bothered by an ankle problem.

In the Guardian Ali Martin reported that the Durham bowler had a painkilling injection on Monday before going through two practice sessions.

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Australia's concerns, meanwhile, are over form rather than fitness.

The bowling attack that dovetailed perfectly at Lord's in the second Test was out-performed by England at Edgbaston.

Peter Siddle—who knows Trent Bridge well following a spell as Nottinghamshire's overseas player—is waiting in the wings should the selection panel decide to shake things up.

Adam Voges has also played for the same English county—he will hope a return to familiar surroundings will lead to an upturn in his fortunes. The 35-year-old has managed only 73 runs in six innings so far.

Skipper Michael Clarke has also been struggling for form—his series tally stands at just 94 runs.

His place is not under immediate threat, though he could take the decision to move down a place in the order to bat at five. He averages 61.83 when batting in that position in Test cricket, compared to 30.89 at four.

But, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes it sends the wrong message to shift Clarke from his current spot. He told Sky Sports the following (h/t Antony Pinshaw of Fox Sports):

"

I don’t think there is a major difference in the positions other than mindset, so he needs to forget his record at No. 5, score runs and take pressure off the younger middle order.

"

If the visitors do want to freshen their batting lineup, they can either draft in left-hander Shaun Marsh or hand a recall to all-rounder Shane Watson, who was dropped after the first Test defeat in Cardiff.

Key Players

England

The absence of Anderson is a big blow to England, particularly since he has taken 53 Test wickets at an average of 19.24 on his previous appearances at Trent Bridge.

Steven Finn now needs to stand up and show that his display at Edgbaston in the last match wasn't a flash in the pan. His eight-wicket haul saw him bowling like the Finn of old, even if he is still relatively young at 26.

The home side will want more of the same from the Middlesex seamer. He was a peripheral figure in the 2013 Ashes Test in Nottingham, bowling just 10 overs in the final innings of the contest.

Australia

With Clarke struggling behind him, Steve Smith needs to produce another big innings for the tourists.

The vice-captain bounced back from a relatively quiet start to his series in Cardiff by becoming the first Australian to hit a double hundred at Lord's since 1938.

Now, having twice fallen cheaply to Finn in the last Test, Smith will be desperate to pile on the runs and show once again why he currently sits on top of the ICC rankings.

Squads

England

Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Steven Finn, Mark Footitt, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood

Australia

Michael Clarke (captain), Fawad Ahmed, Pat Cummins, Brad Haddin (wicketkeeper), Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill (wicketkeeper), Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson