AFP, BIRMINGHAM: England captain Alastair Cook has backed Ian Bell to return to form following the veteran batsman's promotion to number three for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

Bell, England's most experienced batsman, having made his Test debut 11 years ago, has struggled for runs during the Ashes thus far with scores of one, 60, one and 11 in the first two matches.
There had been speculation that, with England repeatedly suffering top-order collapses, Bell might be dropped for
the third Test at his Warwickshire home ground starting
Wednes-day after Australia levelled the five-match series at 1-1 with a crushing 405-run win at Lord's.