England's poor preparation for the Ashes in Australia

[Savak]

After what happened in 2013/14, you would have thought and expected a future English team touring Australia to have learnt some serious lessons and made sure that they would not be found wanting again.

Apparently one of the secrets to the memorable Ashes series in 2010 was the extent of hardwork and preperation that went on behind the scenes for that tour under Andrew Strauss's leadership.

It is inexcusable for the English tailenders to be backing away and exposing their leg, middle stumps to the body line bouncer barrage from the likes of Starc, Cummins and co. I mean this should have been expected, they are playing in Australian pitches for the love of god. A professional high ranking international team cannot be looking this shell shocked for such a high profile series.

I don't understand the English bowling strategy for this tour either, not a single 90 mph plus bouncer bowling, softening bowler. Anderson has always been pathetic with the Kookaburra ball, i don't care if he has 500 plus wickets but he needs to be benched if he is bowling at 129-131 km/hr stuff without being able to swing it.

This is going to be easy work for the aussies if they have to deal with English tailenders scared shitless of the bouncer or English bowlers bowling 80-82 mph short of a length, bouncers.

Was there even any kind of planning for this tour and awareness for what was needed to do well in Australia? Plenty of questions for Andrew Strauss and Joe Root to answer.

 

[Savak]

Btw Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins arent even bowling with the same kind of venom that the likes of Johnson, Harris and Siddle were bowling with in 2013/14.

 

[The_Odd_One]

England has a non-existent middle order. Root is good for pretty 50s only. You won't win many matches unless you have a couple of batsmen in the middle order who can play big innings.

 

[Savak]

England has a non-existent middle order. Root is good for pretty 50s only. You won't win many matches unless you have a couple of batsmen in the middle order who can play big innings.

More than that you need bowlers who can take 20 wickets especially in the conditions being played in. Anderson is ineffective in Australia and with the Kookaburra ball.

 

[wrongun]

Btw Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins arent even bowling with the same kind of venom that the likes of Johnson, Harris and Siddle were bowling with in 2013/14.

Agreed. The bowling was mostly tidy but not quite express and probably only a 7 on the hostility scale (if Johnson was a 9 or 10). They should have been able to handle it better- attack wasn't really in top gear nor was the pitch super quick by Gabba standards.

 

[Robert]

After what happened in 2013/14, you would have thought and expected a future English team touring Australia to have learnt some serious lessons and made sure that they would not be found wanting again.

Apparently one of the secrets to the memorable Ashes series in 2010 was the extent of hardwork and preperation that went on behind the scenes for that tour under Andrew Strauss's leadership.

It is inexcusable for the English tailenders to be backing away and exposing their leg, middle stumps to the body line bouncer barrage from the likes of Starc, Cummins and co. I mean this should have been expected, they are playing in Australian pitches for the love of god. A professional high ranking international team cannot be looking this shell shocked for such a high profile series.

I don't understand the English bowling strategy for this tour either, not a single 90 mph plus bouncer bowling, softening bowler. Anderson has always been pathetic with the Kookaburra ball, i don't care if he has 500 plus wickets but he needs to be benched if he is bowling at 129-131 km/hr stuff without being able to swing it.

This is going to be easy work for the aussies if they have to deal with English tailenders scared shitless of the bouncer or English bowlers bowling 80-82 mph short of a length, bouncers.

Was there even any kind of planning for this tour and awareness for what was needed to do well in Australia? Plenty of questions for Andrew Strauss and Joe Root to answer.

England had a much stronger side in 2010. Perhaps only Root and Stokes of the newer players would get into Strauss’s team.

Stokes is out of the side. There are a couple of 90 mph options available but they break down regularly.

As for tailenders backing away against real quicks - this is what tailenders do.

 

[Convict]

Not going to blame the tailenders for this. Much bigger issue is the lack of bowlers outside Broad and Anderson.

 

[Aman]

Not going to blame the tailenders for this. Much bigger issue is the lack of bowlers outside Broad and Anderson.

I thought Woakes was a fab 4 caliber bowler?

 

[Varun]

You have to ask whether England make Australian bowlers look better than they are.

We toured Australia the year after that Ashes and after we got pummeled in England just a few months earlier, I was fearing the worst. On the contrary, Johnson and co. weren't too vicious and the likes of Kohli, Rahane and Vijiay were able to score runs relatively freely.

What was more telling was Ishant of all people getting English batsmen out to the hook at Lord's earlier that year - said more about England than it did about us.

 

[kingusama92]

You have to ask whether England make Australian bowlers look better than they are.

We toured Australia the year after that Ashes and after we got pummeled in England just a few months earlier, I was fearing the worst. On the contrary, Johnson and co. weren't too vicious and the likes of Kohli, Rahane and Vijiay were able to score runs relatively freely.

What was more telling was Ishant of all people getting English batsmen out to the hook at Lord's earlier that year - said more about England than it did about us.

The Australian bowlers tend to turn up for the Ashes at home. It's all they prepare for.

I don't think any other foreign side faces the same heat when they go to Australia.

 

[R0H1T]

The Australian bowlers tend to turn up for the Ashes at home. It's all they prepare for.

I don't think any other foreign side faces the same heat when they go to Australia.

That's not necessarily true, Aus vs Eng, much like Ind vs Pak, is all about nerves. When a team gets into rhythm, in these series, they can pretty much run away with the whole series fairly quickly.

The point is Ashes is more about nerves than purely skills or effort, Aus vs Ind (this year) or SA vs Aus last year were better in terms of producing high(er) quality cricket than most Ashes series in recent times.

 

[kingusama92]

That's not necessarily true, Aus vs Eng, much like Ind vs Pak, is all about nerves. When a team gets into rhythm, in these series, they can pretty much run away with the whole series fairly quickly.

The point is Ashes is more about nerves than purely skills or effort, Aus vs Ind (this year) or SA vs Aus last year were better in terms of producing high(er) quality cricket than most Ashes series in recent times.

Amir outright said he tries harder against IND.

Nerves play a role but these guys circle the Ashes on their calendar as soon as the last one finishes. Every other tour is just practice.

 

[Convict]

You have to ask whether England make Australian bowlers look better than they are.

We toured Australia the year after that Ashes and after we got pummeled in England just a few months earlier, I was fearing the worst. On the contrary, Johnson and co. weren't too vicious and the likes of Kohli, Rahane and Vijiay were able to score runs relatively freely.

What was more telling was Ishant of all people getting English batsmen out to the hook at Lord's earlier that year - said more about England than it did about us.

My theory is that the Poms cop more juiced up wickets than other touring sides.

 

[Markhor]

Has Woakes produced a spell of note with the Kookaburra ?

He and Ball seem like traditional English bowlers than the sort who can make a big impact on those true Australian wickets.

They've got nobody who can blow away the tail like Australia - and the one express pacer they do have in Mark Wood is injury prone and not even in the squad !

The batting has been a long standing issue for anyone who's seen England in the last three years. Nobody can score daddy hundreds on a consistent basis. Cook looks more exposed without Strauss, Trott and Pietersen against quality bowling while Root has conversion issues. Stoneman, Vince and Malan are still establishing themselves at Test level. Collapses have occurred with regularity.

Adelaide will be massive for England as the conditions, being a D/N Test where more grass is expected on the pitch and the pink ball to swing under lights, will suit them more. If they can't win there - then the Ashes are returning to Australia.

 

[Varun]

As always, England have to walk away from Adelaide with something - even a draw. If they lose, they'll go on to Perth 2-0 and obviously lose there to make it 3-0. Then the shoulders will drop and they'll get smashed 5-0 again.

 

[wrongun]

My theory is that the Poms cop more juiced up wickets than other touring sides.

It's either deliberately slow pitches every time India tour or Indian batsmen have improved... maybe both. They have toured on some really dud pitch years... Then again, we had quite a few of those prior to last Ashes...

 

[ManFan]

The best hope for England is AUS serves up a spicy pitch and they bowl first unleashing Broad and Anderson. Root converts and the tail wags to put up a big score. Aussies will not be able to get anywhere near the score and ENG will most likely push the lead and take them once more. If AUS bat first, ENG is in big trouble. Somehow Moeen has to carry the weight of the bowling and make sure Woakes can clean them up at the other. Not looking very bright for the Poms.

 

[Varun]

It's either deliberately slow pitches every time India tour or Indian batsmen have improved... maybe both. They have toured on some really dud pitch years... Then again, we had quite a few of those prior to last Ashes...

From memory, other teams got them too. Like South Africa; an average at best test batsman like Faf Du Plessis doesn't bat out an 8-hour draw unless the pitch is a slab. Then you have the likes of Khawaja and Marsh magically becoming proficient on those wickets.

 

[squarecut]

Pitches are same for both the teams playing the match. It does not selectively become easy or difficult depending on who is batting or bowling, though some fans badly like to believe that way..

 

[Convict]

From memory, other teams got them too. Like South Africa; an average at best test batsman like Faf Du Plessis doesn't bat out an 8-hour draw unless the pitch is a slab. Then you have the likes of Khawaja and Marsh magically becoming proficient on those wickets.

Marsh scored a test century in Centurion in a match dominated by quicks (Johnson took 10 wickets) and scored two test centuries in Sri Lanka.

He's a substandard player but its not the pitches that have caused him issues.

 

[Robert]

I predicted what would happen if England went in with four FMs. Even Broad seems to be down on pace. Should change the side....

Cook
Stoneman
Vince
Root
Bairstow
Moeen
Foakes
Woakes
Broad
Crane
Anderson

The leggie might get smashed but Moeen will not run through a side here.

 

[Robert]

Pitches are same for both the teams playing the match. It does not selectively become easy or difficult depending on who is batting or bowling, though some fans badly like to believe that way..

It can do. Pitches can quicken up or go dead, or crack or break up, or grass can die.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

England need 3 Broad-like pacers. Genuine pacers are not necessary. If you can hit the deck hard and are accurate, you will get purchase in Australia.

 

[MMHS]

The team is just not good enough - even before Stokes' ban, I called 5-0. They can have a surprise day, even Test, but overall not even a distant match for AUS at their home. Brisbane hosted it's 1st Test in 1928-29, since then in 89 years, I don't think ever any team has got such "un-Gabba" track - still the gap is 10 wickets, after winning toss!!!!!

 

[Hasan123]

Squad selection isn't good enough as well. Ball and Woakes aren't bowlers who you would expect to have success on Australian surfaces. Going to be a long winter for the Poms.