Women's Ashes: England captain Heather Knight says bowlers will have to work hard for victory

England women's captain Heather Knight is expecting her bowlers to have their work cut out for them if they want to force a win in the standalone Test match beginning on Thursday in Canberra.

The tourists need the four points victory would bring to take a lead in the multi-format Ashes series after two of the three Twenty20 matches were rained off and Australia won the other easily to lead 4-2 on points.

«There's a line of thought that if you bowl first you can potentially dictate the game, but you still have to take those 20 wickets, which can be difficult,» Knight said at Manuka Oval the day before the match, while weighing up tactical considerations and the playing surface.

«We're expecting it to be flat, and it doesn't tend to break up so it could be difficult on that fourth day to take wickets.»

But she says that her team should look to India's Test match in Australia last September for inspiration.

«Jhulan Goswami in particular was outstanding — the way she bowled, how she was disciplined with her length and found a little bit of movement to challenge the Aussie batters around that off-stump line. So we've talked about that, being really disciplined there and testing the Aussie batters' technique.»

The addition of tall 21-year-old bowler Lauren Bell to the squad might be one way to force wickets. She has been promoted from the England A squad as cover following swing bowler Anya Shrubsole's ankle injury. Bell could join up with veteran attack leader Katherine Brunt to spice up the contest.

«She's definitely an option on these wickets, she gets a bit of lift,» said Knight of Bell, while remaining cagey about her final XI. «We'll consider her.»

The other consideration is whether England need extra spin support for