The Ashes 2021/22 Discussion

[wrongun]

Eager to watch Leach in action, proper old school test spinner. Hasn't been treated well so far by the English management.

Since Australia is set to tour Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India in 2022, this series will be important for Lyon especially after last summer.

I could understand being excited to watch Swann. But Leach does not fill me with excitement.

 

[wrongun]

You dont seem to know how GST works.

Or you don't understand how changes to GST distribution back to the states massively favoured WA?

 

[Gilly]

Or you don't understand how changes to GST distribution back to the states massively favoured WA?

OK you tell me how it works because I'm really keen to see what you think.

 

[Firebat]

The Ashes: Hobart in Tasmania will host the fifth Ashes Test next month instead of Perth

Hobart will stage the fifth Ashes Test between Australia and England in place of Perth, which was stripped of hosting rights because of Western Australia border controls

Western Australia's requirement for travellers from New South Wales to quarantine for 14 days made it impossible for the teams to complete the fourth Test in Sydney on January 9 and be free to start the fifth match on January 14.

The day-night, pink-ball fixture will be the first Ashes clash to ever be played in Tasmania.

It will also be the first Test played in the island state in more than five years - since Australia were thrashed by an innings by South Africa in November 2016.

Melbourne, which will stage the third Test in the series, and Sydney, which will be the venue for the fourth, had both offered to replace Perth - options that would have provided much greater revenue for Cricket Australia.

"We considered a range of factors, including commercial, logistical and operational considerations," Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said.

"On the balance of these, the CA board agreed on Blundstone Arena being the most appropriate venue to host the fifth Vodafone Men's Ashes Test match.

"We also acknowledge the postponement of the Australia and Afghanistan Test due to be played in Hobart earlier in the year played a part in the decision."

The picturesque Bellerive ground in Hobart holds 19,500 but has attracted far fewer fans than that for previous Test matches, with one journalist famously counting the crowd one-by-one during the series against Sri Lanka in 2012.

Hobart had been set to host the Australia-Afghanistan Test last month before that was cancelled.

Tasmania has largely managed to keep COVID-19 out for the duration of the pandemic by cutting itself off from the rest of Australia and the world.

The decision of Western Australia's government to stick with its hard border controls means the 60,000-seater Perth Stadium, built at a cost of around £860m and completed in 2018, will miss out on Test cricket for the second year in a row.

The stadium, which replaced the WACA ground as Western Australia's test venue, hosted Tests against India in 2018 and New Zealand in 2019.

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...-fifth-ashes-test-next-month-instead-of-perth

 

[MenInG]

Hobart set to host Fifth Vodafone Men's Ashes Test

Cricket Australia (CA) is delighted to announce that the fifth Vodafone Men’s Ashes Test match will be held at Blundstone Arena in Hobart as a day-night fixture from January 14-18, 2022.

Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia CEO, will be available to media at Coral Sea Park in Maroubra, NSW at 2pm AEDT. Please contact Matt Taylor on 0431 896 702 on arrival.

CA acknowledges and thanks all the State and Territory Governments, State Cricket Associations and venues who expressed an interest in hosting the match in what was an extremely competitive process.

The submissions were assessed on several criteria through which the CA board has unanimously decided that Blundstone Arena is the most appropriate venue to host the match.

It will be a historic occasion given Tasmania has never hosted an Ashes Test before and this will also be the first day-night Test match to be played in the state.

Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia CEO, said: “We are delighted to announce that Blundstone Arena in Hobart will be hosting an Ashes Test match for the first time and thank the Tasmanian Government for its support.

“I would like to thank all the States and Territories who took part in this process. The submissions we received were outstanding and we had no doubt that each of the venues that took part would have hosted a wonderful event.

“There were a range of considerations, including commercial, logistical and operational factors and on the balance of these, the CA board agreed on Blundstone Arena being the most appropriate venue to host the fifth Vodafone Men’s Ashes Test.

“We also acknowledge the postponement of the Australia and Afghanistan Test due to take place in Hobart earlier in the year played a part in the decision.”

 

[James]

Another day-night which is good for broadcasters and audiences, and a great scoop for Tasmania and Hobart. Looking forward to it.

 

[MenInG]

Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood is unlikely to take part in the second Test of the ongoing Ashes. The bowler had endured a low-grade side strain in the opening encounter in Gabba, which the hosts won by 9 wickets.

Jhye Richardson is currently leading the race to replace the 30-year-old in the second Test, which will be played in Adelaide from December 16-20.

As per a report in Foxsports.com.au, the bowler has flown back to his home in Sydney. The report further mentioned that David Warner too is in doubt and the talismanic batter along with South Australian pair Travis Head and Alex Carey have returned home.

Warner had hurt his ribs while batting in the first innings of the Gabba Test and Usman Khawaja could take up the opening slot in the absence of the southpaw.

Street, 23-year-old, played an unbeaten knock of 119 while playing for Australia A against England Lions over the weekend.

The hosts had produced a clinical display in the opening clash dismantling Joe Root's England in both the departments of the game.

The visitors were bundled out for 147 in their first innings after opting to bat first. In response, Australia piled 425 and took a massive lead of 278 runs. Root showed some resistance in the second innings, scoring 89 and along with Dawid Malan's 82, England posted 297 on the scoreboard. Australia then wrapped up the show and as expected the hosts then chased down the 20-run target comfortably.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...yers-return-home-reports-101639302727508.html

 

[MenInG]

England pace bowler Stuart Broad says he was "ready to go" for England's first Ashes Test and "disappointed" not to play in the defeat at the Gabba.

Broad, 35, has not played for England since August because of a calf injury.

He was omitted in Brisbane alongside James Anderson, the veteran pair owning 1,156 Test wickets between them.

"I love Ashes cricket, love bowling at the Gabba and feel like I could've had a positive influence on a pitch like that," Broad wrote in the Mail.

England were destined to fail with wrong team selection - Agnew
Australia's Green giant whose presence is already bearing down on England
England were beaten by nine wickets at the Gabba, their 10th loss in 11 Tests down under and an extension of a 35-year winless run in Brisbane.

Their preparations for the first Test were hit by bad weather, meaning they had just over two days of match practice before the series began.

With Broad working back from an injury, England captain Joe Root said the tourists were also keen to manage Anderson, who pulled up after bowling only four overs in the previous Ashes series two years ago.

"Over the past 12 months, Jimmy Anderson and I tried to ensure we were as fit as could be in the current Covid climate, ready to go and available for all five Tests in Australia," said Broad. "I think we ticked that box.

"I've been left out on numerous occasions and sometimes it comes as a real surprise. This was less of a surprise, maybe because I wasn't in the team for the previous series against India due to a calf injury.

"Of course, I was disappointed not to play but I also realise this series is a marathon and not a sprint."

Anderson and Broad are now in line to recalled for the second Test in Adelaide, beginning on Thursday.

That contest, like the fifth match of the series in Hobart, will be a day-nighter, played with a pink ball.

"Batting and bowling styles for that will be a contrast to those on display at the Gabba," said Broad.

"There is no time to feel sorry for ourselves, dwell on not batting, bowling, or catching very well. We know that's the case.

"We must pretend it's 0-0 in a four-match series and go again."

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Hazlewood to miss second Vodafone Ashes Test in AdelaideFast bowler Josh Hazlewood will miss the second Vodafone Ashes Test in Adelaide with a side injury.

Hazlewood was injured during Australia’s nine-wicket win against England in Brisbane.

Hazlewood returned to Sydney yesterday afternoon for further assessment and rehabilitation with a decision on his fitness for the Boxing Day Test to be made in due course.

Australia takes a 14-man squad to Adelaide this morning including fast bowlers Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson and leg spinner Mitchell Swepson. Selectors will choose a squad for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests following the Adelaide match.

 

[shaz619]

Leach was god awful, even an injured Mo did better last time round down under [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] no wonder Rooty was so upset with his retiremenr

 

[Gilly]

Time to reduce the ashes to a 3 match series in Australia, 5 matches is overkill now, England have won only 4 matches over the last couple of decades losing 20 odd matches. This will allow another team to compete in the Aus summer to prevent the loss of interest in cricket after the first couple of matches.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Time to reduce the ashes to a 3 match series in Australia, 5 matches is overkill now, England have won only 4 matches over the last couple of decades losing 20 odd matches. This will allow another team to compete in the Aus summer to prevent the loss of interest in cricket after the first couple of matches.

Only India and SA deserve to play in Australia, given that logic. Last 20 years, NZ have won 1 test , WI/PAK/SL have not won a single test between them.

 

[Gilly]

Only India and SA deserve to play in Australia, given that logic. Last 20 years, NZ have won 1 test , WI/PAK/SL have not won a single test between them.

You have misread what I wrote, WI/PAK/SL do not play 5 match series in Australia. Instead of England playing 5 matches they should only play three and then another team can play two. This will give the supporters a bit more variety and a bit more interest over the summer. This ashes is already dead and we have only played one match.

 

[street cricketer]

You have misread what I wrote, WI/PAK/SL do not play 5 match series in Australia. Instead of England playing 5 matches they should only play three and then another team can play two. This will give the supporters a bit more variety and a bit more interest over the summer. This ashes is already dead and we have only played one match.

I can bet at least 90% of your fellow Australian supporters would not agree to shortening the Ashes.

Although the profile of Australia-India, Australia-SA contests have risen in the last few years, Ashes is still the biggest deal for the majority of English and the Australians, regardless of how many times England gets battered in Australia.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

You have misread what I wrote, WI/PAK/SL do not play 5 match series in Australia. Instead of England playing 5 matches they should only play three and then another team can play two. This will give the supporters a bit more variety and a bit more interest over the summer. This ashes is already dead and we have only played one match.

Interesting. I'd assumed that Australian fans would be interested in the Ashes regardless of how good/bad England were on the field. Perhaps not.

 

[James]

The Ashes in both England and Australia tends to sell out throughout the series, with big crowds right until the end. The series should remain as it is now: 5 Tests every 2 years.

 

[Gilly]

The Ashes in both England and Australia tends to sell out throughout the series, with big crowds right until the end. The series should remain as it is now: 5 Tests every 2 years.

Crowds in Aus ashes series tend to drop dramatically in the last couple of tests. The dead rubber matches are not doing much for cricket and get quite boring.

 

[Robert]

You have misread what I wrote, WI/PAK/SL do not play 5 match series in Australia. Instead of England playing 5 matches they should only play three and then another team can play two. This will give the supporters a bit more variety and a bit more interest over the summer. This ashes is already dead and we have only played one match.

Big call. Wait until Root knocks in another 200 and see how that affects the Australian batting. Or when Broad comes back to torment Warner again. Two of the remaining four surfaces / atmospheres will help England's bowlers.

 

[Gilly]

Big call. Wait until Root knocks in another 200 and see how that affects the Australian batting. Or when Broad comes back to torment Warner again. Two of the remaining four surfaces / atmospheres will help England's bowlers.

Well good luck, I dont think Root has even hit his first 100 in Australia yet. Broads torment of Warner is more of a tickle in Australia 4 times in ten innings at an average score of 54. Broad averages around 37 in Australia I think.

 

[Robert]

Well good luck, I dont think Root has even hit his first 100 in Australia yet. Broads torment of Warner is more of a tickle in Australia 4 times in ten innings at an average score of 54. Broad averages around 37 in Australia I think.

He had a bad series when he was green and trying to be the "enforcer" nonsense instead of a McGrath type.

Then he averaged 27 in the Cook obliteration tour and was the only bowler to advance his case.

He averaged 47 on the first Root tour, but was obviously down on pace.

His pace is back up. I believe in him. Really should have played at the Gabba where he averages 25.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

He had a bad series when he was green and trying to be the "enforcer" nonsense instead of a McGrath type.

Then he averaged 27 in the Cook obliteration tour and was the only bowler to advance his case.

He averaged 47 on the first Root tour, but was obviously down on pace.

His pace is back up. I believe in him. Really should have played at the Gabba where he averages 25.

Bread's pace is gone. Not sure where you saw him bowl quick. He is fast medium in his first spell and then slows down rapidly

 

[Robert]

Bread's pace is gone. Not sure where you saw him bowl quick. He is fast medium in his first spell and then slows down rapidly

He has never been quick. He was down on pace on the first Root Ashes tour. He had got his nip back since.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

He has never been quick. He was down on pace on the first Root Ashes tour. He had got his nip back since.

I saw him clock up to 147 kph at one time and in the 2013/14 Ashes, he was only slower than Johnson and no one else.

Broad is now an 82 mph bowler on average with a first spell that is considerably quicker. He hasn't trained anything. In england, he moves the ball a lot more, so he looks nippy unlike in Austtalia. The speeds have mostly been the same for a long time.

 

[MenInG]

MELBOURNE : England captain Joe Root has backed Rory Burns and Jack Leach to rebound from their horror shows in the series-opening defeat in Brisbane as the tourists look to square the Ashes with victory in the day-night second test at Adelaide Oval.

Burns was bowled out first ball of the series, dropped an easy catch that allowed David Warner to go on to score 94, and failed with the bat again in the second innings of England's nine-wicket defeat by Australia.

"Rory is a very strong character, you can't doubt that side of his game," Root told reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday, two days before the start of the pink ball test.

"He'll come back in and want a response and want to put some big scores on the board."

Leach conceded 1-102 at nearly eight runs per over as Australia's batsmen hit the spinner out of the attack.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson were rested in Brisbane and both pacemen are expected to come in for Adelaide but Root would not rule out Leach retaining his place in the side.

"I'm sure he'll want to respond and he'll want to get back into the series and have an impact," the England skipper said.

"Some of the grounds that we will be going to from this point onwards should offer a lot more for him and bring spin into it as well."

In the 2017/18 Ashes series, England lost the pink-ball test in Adelaide on the way to a 4-0 defeat and will face an opponent who have never lost a test under lights.

Root said his batsmen should feel more comfortable against the swinging pink ball after they struggled with the bounce at the Gabba, where they were skittled for 147 in the first innings and lost eight wickets in a session in the second.

"One thing, as we've spoken about with the pink ball, it can swing a bit more and seam a bit more, which is something that we should be used to and we should know how to manage," he said, referring to the red ball on England's home pitches.

"Whereas in England you don't have to manage the bounce like you do in Brisbane all that often.

"So when there are phases of the game that (swing and seam) comes into it, we should be ready for that."

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/spo...backs-leach-burns-rebound-after-gabba-2378606

 

[MenInG]

Ben Stokes hits Joe Root during practice!

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/7tneao" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[Robert]

I saw him clock up to 147 kph at one time and in the 2013/14 Ashes, he was only slower than Johnson and no one else.

Broad is now an 82 mph bowler on average with a first spell that is considerably quicker. He hasn't trained anything. In england, he moves the ball a lot more, so he looks nippy unlike in Austtalia. The speeds have mostly been the same for a long time.

Well, that’s faster than I ever saw him bowl.

Unsure what seaming and cutting the ball has to do with pace.

One would thing he would get more lift in Australia though.

 

[Robert]

Another day-night which is good for broadcasters and audiences, and a great scoop for Tasmania and Hobart. Looking forward to it.

Ace, I can listen to BBCR5 on the way to work!

 

[Technics 1210]

Hazlewood to miss 2nd Ashes test.

 

[Technics 1210]

Ben Stokes hits Joe Root during practice!

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/7tneao" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

This is what is known as false sense of security for the simple reason Stokes will not face a spinner of Root’s calibre in the proper Ashes Test. Put simple, smacking a part time bowler on your side is not the same as facing the opposition best spinner (Lyon).

 

[Varun]

This is what is known as false sense of security for the simple reason Stokes will not face a spinner of Root’s calibre in the proper Ashes Test. Put simple, smacking a part time bowler on your side is not the same as facing the opposition best spinner (Lyon).

Are you watching the same video as the rest of us? Stokes is the bowler and Root is the batsman.

 

[Technics 1210]

Are you watching the same video as the rest of us? Stokes is the bowler and Root is the batsman.

Ooops auto correct! Same logic applies. Root vs Stokes is no where near the prep vs Aussie bowling. Plus such videos are edited for effect.

Stokes is done and dusted.

 

[MenInG]

Australia captain Pat Cummins has confirmed his team will be making just one change for the second Test.

Speaking to press on match eve, Cummins revealed Jhye Richardson would replace the injured Josh Hazlewood and backed David Warner to play through the pain at Adelaide Oval.

Warner was in doubt for the second Test after suffering badly bruised ribs in the Ashes opener at the Gabba but Australia are confident the determined left-hander will be right to go.

Richardson won the race against Michael Neser for selection, with the Queenslander’s long wait for a Test debut continuing.

Blessed with the ability to move the ball at serious pace, Richardson’s two Tests to date both came in 2019 with a run of injuries hampering his career since.

The quick left his mark on his two outings, taking six wickets at 20.50 against Sri Lanka. He has been in serious form in Australia’s Sheffield Shield this summer, with 23 wickets at 13.43 so far this season.

Warner's inclusion means Usman Khawaja's wait for a Test return continues, having last played at the 2019 Ashes.

"He'll be right," Cummins said of Warner. "He had a bat yesterday, batted with a bit of discomfort but knowing Davey, he's not going to miss this one. Once adrenaline and everything kicks in, (he'll be) a little bit sore but he'll be fine.

"It's one thing batting in the nets but another thing when you walk out and it's a packed crowd. I don't think he had any kind of painkillers or anything yesterday.

"He's played close to 90 Tests, I'm sure a lot of them have been played in discomfort or with (niggles) going into the game. He'll be fine tomorrow."

Australia XI: Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jhye Richardson

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2416321

 

[Last Monetarist]

It's a very tricky selection for Joe Root tomorrow, with initial impressions that the pitch will be straw-coloured and liable to take turn later on in the match. Horrendous position to be in given the stupid mistakes made in the first match.

I'd probably go as follows:

Burns
Hameed
Malan
Root
Stokes
Pope
Buttler
Robinson
Broad
Leach
Anderson

 

[MenInG]

Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson have been included in England’s 12-man squad for the second Ashes Test, a day-night encounter in Adelaide, starting on Thursday, 16 December.

England had gone in without the veteran pace duo for the first Test in Brisbane – Broad was recovering from an injury and Anderson was rested. England lost the match by nine wickets, Australia chasing down the 20-run target in the final innings.

The return of the duo provides a boost to the side ahead of the Adelaide clash. Mark Wood, who returned a commendable 3/85 in the first innings, has been rested.

With Ollie Robinson and Chris Woakes also in the squad as pace options, alongside Broad and Anderson and the all-rounder Ben Stokes, it remains to be seen who will miss out on the final XI.

The loss in the first Test was a devastating one for England – they were bowled out for 147 in the first innings after opting to bat, and never really recovered.

Captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan put up a fight in the second innings after Australia posted a first-innings lead of 278. However, a collapse from the rest of the line-up meant the home side could seal out an easy nine-wicket victory within four days.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Haseeb Hameed, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2416333

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Mark Wood gets rested too much. They need to let him off the leash a bit.

 

[James]

It's a very tricky selection for Joe Root tomorrow, with initial impressions that the pitch will be straw-coloured and liable to take turn later on in the match. Horrendous position to be in given the stupid mistakes made in the first match.

I'd probably go as follows:

Burns
Hameed
Malan
Root
Stokes
Pope
Buttler
Robinson
Broad
Leach
Anderson

Yep, pretty much this… and that’s about the best team we can put out.

England could spring a surprise but in reality I fear for the margin of their defeat once again.

 

[Robert]

Yep, pretty much this… and that’s about the best team we can put out.

England could spring a surprise but in reality I fear for the margin of their defeat once again.

At Adelaide I would drop Leach and bring Woakes instead. He got five wickets in the match there last time.

 

[IMMY69]

I have little hope for Burns.
I hope he proves me wrong but I just don't see him lasting against Starc or Cummins, especially with the orange ball under lights.

I would have picked Bairstow to open with Hameed.

 

[IMMY69]

At Adelaide I would drop Leach and bring Woakes instead. He got five wickets in the match there last time.

Good call.
Also Root can always turn his arm over if we need to introduce a bit of spin.
Woakes also strengthens the batting order

 

[Amjid Javed]

I have little hope for Burns.
I hope he proves me wrong but I just don't see him lasting against Starc or Cummins, especially with the orange ball under lights.

I would have picked Bairstow to open with Hameed.

your right about Burns, but bairstow

A guy whose technic is so poor he gets bowled nearly all the time in tests. nothing more than 1 good year in test cricket and you want him to open.

Someome hacked your account )

 

[IMMY69]

your right about Burns, but bairstow

A guy whose technic is so poor he gets bowled nearly all the time in tests. nothing more than 1 good year in test cricket and you want him to open.

Someome hacked your account )

Sadly no one has hacked my account

I would take Bairstow over Burns because I believe he's actually in the squad, has experience and can battle it out. If anything he can be the counter attacking batsman to Hameeds slow and steady approach.

Alternatively push Crawly to open. I think Crawly has such more potential then Burns, even as an opener.

 

[street cricketer]

At Adelaide I would drop Leach and bring Woakes instead. He got five wickets in the match there last time.

Problem is England were already short of overrate that they were docked 5 championship points despite having a spinner in their XI.

They cannot afford to drop anymore points due to overrate and that means they cannot go without a spinner. Yes Root can bowl spin, but I'm not sure if he can do a holding role against Aussie batsmen in Australia.

 

[Robert]

I have little hope for Burns.
I hope he proves me wrong but I just don't see him lasting against Starc or Cummins, especially with the orange ball under lights.

I would have picked Bairstow to open with Hameed.

Bairstow is a white ball banger says. He’ll last no time against Cummins/Starc armed with the moving new ball.

 

[Robert]

Problem is England were already short of overrate that they were docked 5 championship points despite having a spinner in their XI.

They cannot afford to drop anymore points due to overrate and that means they cannot go without a spinner. Yes Root can bowl spin, but I'm not sure if he can do a holding role against Aussie batsmen in Australia.

They will be more interested in getting back into the Ashes than the test championship. So what if they finish bottom? There’s no relegation.

 

[street cricketer]

They will be more interested in getting back into the Ashes than the test championship. So what if they finish bottom? There’s no relegation.

I'm not aware of the rules but doesn't your captain get banned if your team keeps lagging in overrates? England wouldn't want to miss Root's services in any of the matches.

 

[Robert]

I'm not aware of the rules but doesn't your captain get banned if your team keeps lagging in overrates? England wouldn't want to miss Root's services in any of the matches.

Hmmm, that’s a censure they really don’t want, as Root = England batting.

 

[Technics 1210]

Hmmm, that’s a censure they really don’t want, as Root = England batting.

England were fined 100% of their match fee and deducted 5 WTC points after the 1st Test.

 

[James]

England without Root lol. With Stokes standing in for Shakib, that would be like Australia v Bangladesh for the rest of the Ashes if that happened.

 

[Technics 1210]

England without Root lol. With Stokes standing in for Shakib, that would be like Australia v Bangladesh for the rest of the Ashes if that happened.

I am not too sure England without Root in Oz will be as devastating as people are making it out to be.

Out of all the top 8 Test nations (ex Bangladesh), Root has the lowest Test average in Australia.

http://www.howstat.com/cricket/statistics/players/PlayerCountries.asp?PlayerID=3981

 

[Last Monetarist]

I'm not aware of the rules but doesn't your captain get banned if your team keeps lagging in overrates? England wouldn't want to miss Root's services in any of the matches.

That rule was changed a couple of years ago, captains no longer get banned for slow over-rates:

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/icc-new-rules-captains-slow-over-rates-fine-team-suspension-cancelled/article28579072.ece?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=E2KbS6zEtXhpvN2U.nT3E2UdxPHHe9cmXu1wiKLtp4c-1639583685-0-gaNycGzNCL0

 

[transparent opacity]

England look to ruin Australia's perfect day-night record

England must achieve what no side in men's day-night Test history has achieved to avoid slumping to a 2-0 deficit in the Ashes: beat Australia with the pink ball.

Overview
Australia vs England, second Ashes Test
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
15-19 December

Across their eight day-night Tests to date, Australia has come out victors all eight times. England, by contrast, have one win and three losses from their four day-nighters.

On top of that record, there’s the fact England has not won a Test in Australia since 2010/11, losing 10 of their past 11 matches in the format Down Under.

Suffice to say, recent history is against them heading into this match.

Nevertheless, they have reason to go into the match with some cause for optimism. Senior pros James Anderson and Stuart Broad are both expected to return for the clash. Importantly, both Joe Root and Dawid Malan found form at the Gabba, notching half-centuries, while Haseeb Hameed and Ollie Pope each produced encouraging innings.

Of course, there is much more for Australia to be optimistic about with only injury concerns dampening the positives that came from the first Test.

With the ball, every member of their all-star attack performed, and with the bat there was plenty to be happy about – nothing more so than Travis Head’s incredible century.

If they maintain similar standards at Adelaide Oval, they’ll be extremely hard to beat.

Remember the last time
England’s Ashes campaign got off to the roughest of starts at the Gabba, slumping to a nine-wicket loss inside four days.

Root’s decision to bat first on a green deck under cloudy skies was a bold one that came back to bite the tourists immediately as Mitchell Starc bowled Rory Burns around his legs first ball. Before lunch on day one they were four down and coming back from there was always going to be difficult. With Pat Cummins taking five wickets on his captaincy debut, England were bowled out before the end of the day for 147.

Australia piled on 425 runs in reply, with David Warner cashing in on some early fortune to make 94, before Head (152) belted a century in a session to all but take England out of the match.

Root’s team actually looked set to make it a contest from there, sitting in the healthy position of 223/2 at one point in their second innings with eyes on setting Australia a significant target. Unfortunately for the tourists, after Malan (82) and Root’s (89) 162-run stand was ended, there was little resistance. Nathan Lyon’s long wait for Test wicket No.400 came to an end and for good measure he took another three before the end of the innings, leaving Australia needing just 20 runs to win.

Things didn’t go so well for England in their last day-night Test against Australia either. In 2017 when they met at Adelaide Oval in a pink ball affair, England went down by 120 runs.

Team news
Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed his side would be making just one change from the XI that so convincingly won the first Test, with Josh Hazlewood ruled out with a side strain and replaced by Jhye Richardson.

Richardson has thrived in Australia’s domestic first-class tournament this summer (23 wickets at 13.43) and has already proven he is up to Test standard, taking six wickets at 20.50 across two matches in 2019.

Cummins backed David Warner to play through the pain barrier after he suffered bruised ribs in the first Test.

Australia XI: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Lyon

Despite it being the batting that misfired in the first Test, England’s main dilemmas going into the second match revolve around the make-up of their attack.

Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson all impressed for England at the Gabba but with Anderson and Broad both tipped to return at Adelaide Oval at least one of them will have to make way. Two will have to sit out if England opt to retain a spinner on what has been described as a “thatchy” wicket.

Jack Leach had a torturous time in Brisbane, taking 1/102, so it remains to be seen if England will keep the faith in the main tweaker. In reserve they have Dom Bess, who took six wickets (4/80, 2/157) for the England Lions against Australia A.

On the batting front, Rory Burns will be under pressure to perform if he is retained after posting scores of 0 and 13 in the first Test. Waiting in the wings for selection is Zak Crawley. If England want more experience in their batting order they could turn to Jonny Bairstow in the middle order in place of Ollie Pope.

Possible England XI: Haseeb Hameed, Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes/Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

The WTC23 situation
Australia commenced their ICC World Test Championship campaign in style in the first Test and will be looking to maintain their 100 per cent record in the current cycle. With tough tours to come in Pakistan and India, building an early buffer could be crucial to Australia's hopes of making the final.

Sitting seventh at this stage in the tournament, having picked up only 15 per cent of available points, England will be intent on making up for lost ground before it's too late.

Look out for
Mitchell Starc – No bowler has dominated day-night Test cricket quite like Mitchell Starc. The left-arm quick is a frightening enough prospect in most situations. Put a pink ball in his hands – with or without the floodlights on – and he becomes nigh-on unplayable. Across eight day-night Tests to date he has taken 46 wickets at 18.86, with three five-wicket hauls to his name.

James Anderson – Left out of the England XI for the first Test for personnel management reasons, Anderson looks a more than likely starter at Adelaide Oval. Anderson has continually adapted and evolved over the course of his near 20-year career so it’s no surprise he has thrived with the pink ball. He averages 19.28 in day-night Tests, with 14 wickets from four games.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2416197?sf156774438=1

 

[gazza619]

Ben Stokes hits Joe Root during practice!

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/7tneao" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

Ouch!!!

 

[Robert]

I am not too sure England without Root in Oz will be as devastating as people are making it out to be.

Out of all the top 8 Test nations (ex Bangladesh), Root has the lowest Test average in Australia.

The way he has batted this year, I expect him to improve.

 

[James]

apparently Pat Cummins is out of the match. He has been deemed a close contact of a Covid-positive individual and must now self-isolate for 7 days. Bit of a McGrath stepping on the cricket ball unlucky moment at more or less the last minute.

 

[Junaids]

Who said “cheats never prosper”?

I will pick my words carefully to avoid any moderation…

It turns out that you can preside over the biggest scandal in your country’s sporting history, and then within four years you are back captaining your country.

I consider Smith’s actions to be markedly more severe than Salman Butt’s, because they actually changed the results of matches.

Never forget, four months before they were caught in South Africa, Starc provided the only case in history of winning a pink ball Test match in broad daylight with reverse swing. In the corresponding match to today’s Test at Adelaide.

I was there in Adelaide and I was there in South Africa - and I saw multiple Test matches change course due to impossibly early reverse swing.

Smith only confessed to one instance, and continues to deny all the others. He has never been placed on trial for those earlier events, so remains technically not guilty of any prior offences.

And now he is captain again.

I feel sick!

 

[Firebat]

Australian captain Pat Cummins to miss second TestAustralian captain Pat Cummins has been deemed a close contact of a person who received a positive Covid-19 test last night.

Cummins was dining in a restaurant last night and did not breach any biosecurity protocols. He isolated as soon as he became aware of the situation and has since had a PCR test, which produced a negative result.

SA Health has confirmed that Cummins is a close contact and will be required to isolate for seven days. As a consequence, Cummins is unavailable to play in the second Vodafone men's Ashes Test match in Adelaide, starting today.

We anticipate that he will be available to play in the third Vodafone men’s Ashes Test at the MCG in Melbourne.

Cummins is understandably very disappointed not to be able to captain Australia for the day-night Test in Adelaide.

Steve Smith will captain the team in Cummins’ absence.

Michael Neser comes into the playing XI to make his Test debut and Travis Head will be vice-captain.

Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were dining at the same restaurant as Cummins but at a separate table outdoors. SA Health has deemed them casual contacts and they are free to play.

 

[RehanG]

apparently Pat Cummins is out of the match. He has been deemed a close contact of a Covid-positive individual and must now self-isolate for 7 days. Bit of a McGrath stepping on the cricket ball unlucky moment at more or less the last minute.

Sheer nonsense this from Aus gov. His test returned negative but still has to go into quarantine for 7 days.

 

[Junaids]

Sheer nonsense this from Aus gov. His test returned negative but still has to go into quarantine for 7 days.

You really don’t understand infectious disease transmission, do you?

He sat next to an infected person last night. Even if he was infected, the earliest he would test positive is Day 4 or Day 5 of the match.

A negative test at this early stage is completely meaningless.

Oh, and it’s the South Australian government, not the Australian government. And Professor Nicola Spurrier is very very highly respected!

 

[Junaids]

This series is going to go wrong unless they adopt a strict bubble before it’s too late.

The MCG Test is a major worry now, but the Fourth Test at the SCG is a disaster waiting to happen, with a state government intent on following the failed British FreeDumb Day model.

 

[U$ofA]

Who said “cheats never prosper”?

I will pick my words carefully to avoid any moderation…

It turns out that you can preside over the biggest scandal in your country’s sporting history, and then within four years you are back captaining your country.

I consider Smith’s actions to be markedly more severe than Salman Butt’s, because they actually changed the results of matches.

Never forget, four months before they were caught in South Africa, Starc provided the only case in history of winning a pink ball Test match in broad daylight with reverse swing. In the corresponding match to today’s Test at Adelaide.

I was there in Adelaide and I was there in South Africa - and I saw multiple Test matches change course due to impossibly early reverse swing.

Smith only confessed to one instance, and continues to deny all the others. He has never been placed on trial for those earlier events, so remains technically not guilty of any prior offences.

And now he is captain again.

I feel sick!

Spot on. He should never get anywhere near captaincy. Sure he gets a second chance. But only as a player. That too on a very short leash.

 

[MenInG]

ADELAIDE (Reuters) - Australia’s regular test skipper Pat Cummins has been allowed to return home in Sydney, the team said on Friday, after missing the ongoing second Ashes test in Adelaide for being a close contact of a COVID-19 case.

Cummins was ruled out hours before the start of the pink-ball test against England after dining in the same restaurant as the positive case on Wednesday night.

The 28-year old produced a negative test result on Thursday and has been cleared by South Australia’s SA Health to return home by a chartered flight, Cricket Australia said.

“Under the plan approved by SA Health, he will self-drive from isolation and then, with the appropriate PPE and hygiene controls, take a single charter flight,” the CA said.

“Cricket Australia will continue to consult with SA Health to ensure compliance with the plan.

“He will continue to observe all isolation requirements in NSW.”

Steve Smith stepped up as Australia’s stand-in captain in Adelaide but the hosts, who are 1-0 up in the five-match series, will hope to welcome Cummins back in squad for the Boxing Day test in Melbourne.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-cricket-test-aus-eng-idUKKBN2IW0LX?edition-redirect=uk

 

[MenInG]

Australia names unchanged squad for remainder of Vodafone Ashes Series
Australia has named an unchanged 15-man squad for the three remaining Vodafone Ashes Test matches in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart.

Australia:

Pat Cummins (NSW) (c)
Alex Carey (SA)
Cameron Green (WA)
Marcus Harris (VIC)
Josh Hazlewood (NSW)
Travis Head (SA)
Usman Khawaja (QLD)
Marnus Labuschagne (QLD)
Nathan Lyon (NSW)
Michael Neser (QLD)
Jhye Richardson (WA)
Steve Smith (NSW) (vc)
Mitchell Starc (NSW)
Mitchell Swepson (QLD)
David Warner (NSW)

Fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood rejoin the squad when it assembles in Melbourne on Thursday.

 

[MenInG]

Scott Boland added to Australian squad for Vodafone Ashes Series

Victorian fast bowler Scott Boland has been added to the Australian squad for the Vodafone Ashes Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Boland has been training with the team in Adelaide and joins the squad while the medical team assesses the fast bowling group following the second Test victory.

The 2018-19 Marsh Sheffield Shield player of the year has been in strong form for Victoria this summer with 15 wickets from two matches against New South Wales at an average of 10.

He played against the English Lions alongside Test debutant Michael Neser in Brisbane before joining the group in Adelaide.

Australia:

Pat Cummins (NSW) (c)
Scott Boland (Vic)
Alex Carey (SA)
Cameron Green (WA)
Marcus Harris (VIC)
Josh Hazlewood (NSW)
Travis Head (SA)
Usman Khawaja (QLD)
Marnus Labuschagne (QLD)
Nathan Lyon (NSW)
Michael Neser (QLD)
Jhye Richardson (WA)
Steve Smith (NSW) (vc)
Mitchell Starc (NSW)
Mitchell Swepson (QLD)
David Warner (NSW)

 

[MenInG]

England can expect a green pitch with help for the seamers at the Boxing Day Ashes Test, according to MCG pitch curator Matthew Page.

The tourists have misread conditions in each of the first two games, leaving Stuart Broad out on a Gabba surface that would have suited him then leaving Jack Leach out on an Adelaide Oval track that suited spin.

The man in charge of preparing that pitch, Damian Hough, even advised England to pick a spinner only for his words to fall on deaf ears.

Page is not interested in getting involved in matters of selection but was happy to predict a pitch that encourages movement for the pace bowlers. When England last visited Melbourne in 2017/18, Sir Alastair Cook sealed a draw with an epic double century, but a similarly sluggish track does not look to be on the cards.

"We're leaving a lot more grass on them. There's a lot more seam movement in the pitches as a result of the grass being left on.

"There will be seam movement up for the quick guys. We rely on that seam movement early, there will be a little bit of spin but it won't be massive I wouldn't have thought.

"Australia and England will play whoever they think is going to take 20 wickets. I'm not inside their camp so it's very hard for me to make a comment on who they should pick."

A Boxing Day crowd of around 70,000 is expected at the MCG - down on the record numbers of years gone by but one of the biggest attendances for any event in Australia since the onset of Covid.

"Given the sales to date, we're expecting 70,000," Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox said.

"The numbers show that people will be willing to come and if we get 70,000, that's a pretty significant result in this environment."

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...ed-for-boxing-day-test-says-mcg-pitch-curator

 

[Buffet]

England can expect a green pitch with help for the seamers at the Boxing Day Ashes Test, according to MCG pitch curator Matthew Page.

The tourists have misread conditions in each of the first two games, leaving Stuart Broad out on a Gabba surface that would have suited him then leaving Jack Leach out on an Adelaide Oval track that suited spin.

The man in charge of preparing that pitch, Damian Hough, even advised England to pick a spinner only for his words to fall on deaf ears.

Page is not interested in getting involved in matters of selection but was happy to predict a pitch that encourages movement for the pace bowlers. When England last visited Melbourne in 2017/18, Sir Alastair Cook sealed a draw with an epic double century, but a similarly sluggish track does not look to be on the cards.

"We're leaving a lot more grass on them. There's a lot more seam movement in the pitches as a result of the grass being left on.

"There will be seam movement up for the quick guys. We rely on that seam movement early, there will be a little bit of spin but it won't be massive I wouldn't have thought.

"Australia and England will play whoever they think is going to take 20 wickets. I'm not inside their camp so it's very hard for me to make a comment on who they should pick."

A Boxing Day crowd of around 70,000 is expected at the MCG - down on the record numbers of years gone by but one of the biggest attendances for any event in Australia since the onset of Covid.

"Given the sales to date, we're expecting 70,000," Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox said.

"The numbers show that people will be willing to come and if we get 70,000, that's a pretty significant result in this environment."

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...ed-for-boxing-day-test-says-mcg-pitch-curator

Even curator is fed up with the ineptness of Eng. He is trying his best to help Eng by broadcasting what pitch will do .

 

[Ab Fan]

Good time for Jimmy to get a 5-fer.

 

[Ab Fan]

I have a feeling that Root might hit his first away Ashes hundred in Boxing day test.

 

[MenInG]

Australia coach Justin Langer has confirmed Marcus Harris will open the batting in the Ashes Boxing Day Test.

With scores of 3, 9*, 3 and 23 so far in the campaign, Harris appeared a man under pressure heading into the Melbourne Test, but Langer has given him his unequivocal backing.

"He'll play in the Test, no worries about that," Langer said on Thursday, pointing to Harris’ dominant domestic numbers.

"This is his home ground. He's played a lot at the MCG.

"He hasn't made the runs he'd like to so far, but he dominates domestic cricket.

"So he knows that he knows how to play.

"He's a fantastic bloke around the squad ... And we know he's a very good player.

"For him and for us we're hoping he plays well and gets a good partnership with Davey Warner in this Boxing Day Test match."

Having experienced similar pressure over his spot early in his Test career, Langer knows how valuable the backing of those that matter can be to a misfiring batter.

"That's absolutely one of the most important things in life, knowing people have got your back," Langer said.

"My experience, when Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Mark Taylor or Allan Border said 'you're in the team', you feel like you feel like Superman.

"You feel like you're important to the team and Marcus Harris is important to the team."

Alongside Cameron Green, Harris is the one member of the Australian top seven not to have made a major contribution with the bat so far in the series.

Langer, however, is confident a big innings is just around the corner.

"I think an opening partnership is very, very important," Langer said.

"We're really confident Marcus has got what it takes to be a successful Australian opening batsman.

"And what we see in the nets, what we see in domestic cricket all adds up to what is potentially a very good Test career.

"One of the building blocks of a great team is the opening partnership and top three.

"We're determined to get that right."

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2426291

 

[James]

Re: Harris

That’s generous from Langer, ensuring that England will still be able to take at least 1 wicket per innings in the series.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Surely there has got to be a better option than Marcus Harris?

 

[Robert]

I have a feeling that Root might hit his first away Ashes hundred in Boxing day test.

He has got to crack on, as Joe 50 returned in the first two tests.

 

[Robert]

Looks like Wood is back at Melbourne, probably for the aged Anderson or Broad.

Crawley is back too as his 6’5” may cope with the bounce better that diminutive Burns.

 

[MenInG]

Dawid Malan says "hurting" England must not "go into their shells" as they look to reignite their flagging Ashes campaign.

The tourists are 2-0 down with three games to play after two heavy defeats to kick off the series - a nine-wicket thrashing in Brisbane and then a 275-run loss in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide.

Malan believes England must now follow the lead of their white-ball team - who trounced Australia in the group stages of the recent T20 World Cup - by "taking the game" to their opponents but also show the discipline the home side's batters have displayed.

Malan, who has scored two half-centuries in the series so far, said: "The boys are hurting after our performances in the last two games. They realise we haven't been good enough across all facets of the game.

"Speaking to all the guys, everyone is up for the challenge, everyone is really keen to face up to the Australians. We do it in white-ball cricket, we take them on and there's a lot of the white-ball players in this group as well.

"Hopefully we can get that mindset and not just go into our shells trying to survive but actually try and take the game to them.

"A lot of our dismissals were probably soft in the sense that we could have left them. You still have to score, but it's about making the right choices under pressure, myself included.

"If you look at the way Australia have batted, the ones who have done really well, they've left really well so it's a good learning curve for us. Hopefully it's not too late.

"The boys want to win the series still. I know it's a long way to come but we have to do well and play our best cricket to get ourselves back in the series."

Malan, captain Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow - who is yet to play in this series but is in contention to feature in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground - are the only England batters on this trip to have played Ashes cricket in Australia before.

Malan added: "We are almost learning on the job in Test matches because a lot of the guys haven't played in Australia - they are facing bowlers they've never faced before and getting used to the bounce out here.

"We've done a lot of talking but if we're realistic there are only three of us, and Jonny, who's not been playing, that have actually played Ashes cricket out here.

"With the preparation we've had the guys haven't got used to conditions, you could say that's an excuse but it's just a fact.

"The beauty of playing cricket in Australia is that it's tough, it's hard, it's brutal and you have to be at your best to win out here. We haven't been that so far.

"Ultimately we are the ones who walk onto the field. We get all the preparation and all the knowledge we need and it's up to us to put it in place. We haven't done that well enough.

"When we have those honest chats as players we feel we learn a lot more. Now it's about not talking anymore, it's about putting it into play."

Bairstow is among the options under consideration for a recall, with Ollie Pope under serious pressure at number six after scoring just 48 runs at an average of 12 across the first two Tests.

Zak Crawley also appears highly likely to open the batting in place of either Rory Burns or Haseeb Hameed.

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...-game-to-australia-as-they-look-to-fight-back

 

[James]

<b>BBC — Ashes: Josh Hazlewood to miss third Test, but Mitchell Starc & Marcus Harris set to play.</b>

Australia coach Justin Langer has suggested Mitchell Starc will play in a third Ashes Test in quick succession, but Josh Hazlewood will again miss out with a minor side strain.

Starc, 31, has bowled more than 75 overs in the series and felt twinges in his back during the second Test.

Captain Pat Cummins should return for the third Test, and Victoria's Scott Boland has been added to the squad.

"It's nice to have this nursery of bowlers," said Langer.

Australia lead the five-Test series 2-0 after an empathic 275-run win in the second Test in Adelaide followed a nine-wicket victory in the opening Test in Brisbane.

Avoiding defeat in the famous Boxing Day Test in Melbourne will mean Langer's side retain the Ashes after a 2-2 draw in England in 2019 and a 4-0 win down under in 2017.

Starc took 6-80 in Adelaide, but bowled 43.1 overs, just days after bowling 32 in the first Test.

"Mitch Starc was almost the man of the match last game," said Langer. "He's an unbelievable athlete and he's incredibly fit.

"His resilience to come back over and over again, the way he controlled the tempo of the game, is a credit to him. He became the leader of the attack.

"I'd be very surprised if he doesn't get up for Boxing Day."

Hazlewood, who was injured during the first Test, lives in Sydney but will spend Christmas in Melbourne.

Langer said that was the player's choice because he had already made plans to spend the holiday with his partner's family, not because there would be a late bid to get him ready to play.

Cummins - the third of Australia's prominent fast-bowling trio - will certainly return and will resume his new job as captain after missing the second Test at late notice because he was a Covid-19 close contact.

"I found out at midnight about Patty Cummins and what was happening," said Langer, who took over as coach in May 2018.

"I really liked how everyone stayed calm and got on with their process, their role within the team."

Langer also gave his backing to opener Marcus Harris, who has scored just 38 runs across his four innings in the series - the fewest of any specialist batter from either side.

"He'll play in the Test, no worries about that," said Langer.

"This is his home ground. He hasn't made the runs that he would have liked, but he's dominated domestic cricket. So he can play. He showed glimpses of it in Test cricket so far.

"We're hopeful that he'll keep kicking on and keep getting better. He's not far off.

"We want an opening partnership for the long term, not the short term. We've chopped and changed a lot over the last few years, and testament to that is how many opening partners Davey Warner has had."

 

[Technics 1210]

Rumour is Stokes will replace Root as captain after Ashes.

Ben Stokes tipped to replace Joe Root as England captain after the Ashes

Former Australia star Brad Haddin has backed Ben Stokes to replace Joe Root as England skipper, claiming "Stokes tactically is the best captain".

Root's captaincy has come under fire in the Ashes, with his decision to bat first at the Gabba, team selection and bowling plans all coming in for criticism.

Notably, ex-Australia captain Ricky Ponting laid into Root after he admitted England "didn't bowl the right lengths" in the second Test in Adelaide.

"I nearly fell off my seat when I heard that," Ponting said. "Whose job is it then to make them change? Why are you captain then?

"If you can't influence your bowlers on what length to bowl, what are you doing on the field?"

Ian Chappell has also delivered a scathing attack on Root, saying: "What is the opposite definition of excellent leadership? There's a good chance it can be summed up by Joe Root's captaincy."

Now, Haddin has questioned Root's future as England captain, suggesting vice-captain Stokes could be a better option.

Speaking on Triple M Cricket, Haddin said: "What they did really well tactically was the fourth morning. Who was off [the field]? Joe Root.

"Ben Stokes took over and it just looked a lot more calm. He had a plan, the bowlers bowled fuller, he had catching midwickets and short covers.

"They bowled at the stumps and they challenged Australia. They took four wickets for, I think, under 20 runs and they put Australia under pressure.

"Root came back on and it all went downhill again. So, to me something's not quite right.


"I think Ben Stokes tactically is the best captain. If you look at the first two Test matches, they haven't got it right.

"He [Root] is involved in the selection committee with the coach and the coach has come out and said 'we've picked the right teams'.

"Then the bowling coach said 'you haven't picked the right teams' and Joe Root says 'you're not bowling the right lengths'."
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/england-joe-root-ben-stokes-25761289

 

[MenInG]

While England improved their over rates in the second Test at the Adelaide Oval they lost by 275 runs, the CA boss said he favoured the ICC doing everything they can to ensure teams bowl their full quota of overs every day of a Test match.

“The penalties are pretty harsh and that should be a really strong disincentive," Hockley said on Sportsday on Friday.

“The fact it happened in the first Test match was a really big reminder and we saw in the second Test that the two teams were right on top of their over rates. I’m all in favour of the ICC taking a really firm stance and ultimately we want to provide as much entertaining cricket for the fans as possible.

“I’d like to see both teams and all teams around the world (speed things up), the same goes for the Big Bash (League) so we make sure we get through the overs."

Australia will be looking forward to clinch the Ashes when the third Test gets underway at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day (December 26)

https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...es-cricket-australia-ceo-hockley-4588346.html

 

[MenInG]

Josh Hazlewood looks likely to miss the Boxing Day Test through injury, but Cameron Green and the rest of the Australian bowling attack are raring to go for their attempt at securing the Ashes urn in Melbourne.

Hazlewood, who suffered a side injury during the series opener in Brisbane and missed the ensuing Test in Adelaide, did not bowl at the team’s main session on Friday and instead watched on as Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser both had long bowls in the nets at the Aussie top-order.

Green suggested Hazlewood was firming for a return in the fourth Test at the SCG.

“He's going really well,” said the 22-year-old allrounder. “He was doing his run-throughs today and he’s looking really good. I haven't spoken to the guys for this game, but definitely lock him in for Sydney.”

Neser, who took a wicket in each innings on Test debut last week, looms as the likely man to make way for returning captain Pat Cummins after he was caught up at a COVID-19 exposure site in Adelaide.

Richardson, playing in first Test in nearly three years as a replacement for Cummins in Adelaide, showcased the depth of Australia’s bowling stocks by breaking England’s final-day resistance with his maiden five-wicket haul and setting the series ledger at 2-0.

Having sent down nearly 40 overs in the pink-ball Test, the skiddy right-armer appeared to dispel doubts over his own fitness by troubling the likes of Steve Smith and Marcus Harris in an impressive swing-bowling spell at training on Friday.

Victorian paceman Scott Boland, player-of-the-match in the MCG’s only Marsh Sheffield Shield game this season, had been called into the Test squad as cover but looks set to have his wait for a Baggy Green extended.

“I spoke to him today and he is good to go,” Green said of his Western Australian teammate Richardson. “He was so pumped after how he went in that second innings, as you would be, and he’s ready to go again.”

Green too shook off his concerns over his own fitness after stand-in captain Smith revealed team management had hoped not to bowl the allrounder on the final day of the second Test.

The towering paceman who has dismissed England captain Joe Root twice in this series has previously had problems with back injuries, but insisted his lack of bowling in Adelaide was simply a precaution.

“I was completely fine and ready to go,” said Green. “We were just in a really good position. Nathan Lyon was bowling beautifully from one end and then we’ve got three world class pace bowlers to choose from. I wasn’t really required.

“They just thought we could get through the game without bowling me (in the second innings) and keep me a bit more fresh for this game. The boys bowled beautifully and credit to them.

“You’re never sure if (injuries are) behind you. Your body starts to mature when you get to 25, 26. I’m still pretty far off that mark.”

Richardson’s zip and ability to shift the ball both ways could see him again be a handful for England, whose captain Joe Root is prepared for a livelier MCG track than the one rated as “poor” by the ICC for the corresponding Ashes fixture four years ago.

Head curator Matthew Page has since injected life into the drop-in pitches that had become synonymous with dour cricket and low bounce.

The surface was sporting a healthy covering of grass two days out from the start of this Test and is expected to play similarly to the one prepared for the Shield match between Victoria and NSW last month.

The pitch for that game, one strip over from the one being used for Boxing Day, earnt high praise players after the match was decided in the final hour of day four.

“I imagine it might play slightly differently to four years ago,” Root told reporters.

“It’s about adapting those conditions, understanding the danger and challenges and where you're going to be able to score those runs, execute and have full confidence and trust in your own ability to do that.”

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/cam...and-boxing-day-test-josh-hazlewood/2021-12-24

 

[Saj]

Scott Boland looks set to make Australian cricketing history on Boxing Day as only the second male Indigenous Test player in 144 years.

In one of the biggest Test selection shocks in some time, the 32-year-old Victorian was not even in the Ashes squad until Monday, but is now expected for an extraordinary debut as an MCG track specialist.

As first reported by News Corp on Wednesday, Australia is taking a cautious approach with quicks Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser, both greenhorns at Test level, and are concerned about backing them up so soon after a tough five-day contest in Adelaide.

Pat Cummins will return as captain while Mitchell Starc is expected to be passed fit to play and continue his roll as one of the players of the series.

Australia still have 24 hours to settle on a final XI, but Boland, a proud Gulidjan man from Colac in Victoria, is firming strongly for a dream debut in front of his home fans at an age when few fast bowlers have ever broken into the highest level of the game.

The only Indigenous male to ever play Test cricket for Australia, Jason Gillespie, told News Corp earlier this week that Boland debuting would be a proud and significant day for Aboriginal people in this country.

“I love what Scott brings to the table,” 259 Test-wicket great Gillespie said.

“He’s a fantastic bowler, he performs in all conditions and he gives his all. A captain’s dream.

“If that was to be the case (a debut) it would be a proud day for Aboriginal Australia.”

Boland averages 26 at first-class level from 79 games, and has an even better record at the MCG.

The right-armer has particularly excelled at the MCG since curator Matt Page created a new-look deck with more grass on the surface.

Part of the motivation for selecting Boland, if he does get the nod, might be the fact Melbourne has been a graveyard for most Australian fast bowlers.

Cummins is really the only current Test bowler with a strong record there.

Boland has only ever got state batsmen out on the MCG, but selectors feel he has the resources and experiences to unlock the secrets to getting wickets at game’s coliseum.

Boland was the fifth Australian Indigenous player when he was blooded in the ODI team back in 2016, but it’s been a regrettable part of the game’s history that Gillespie has remained so long the only Indigenous male Test star.

The Victorian told News Corp in an interview four years ago that he only learned of his Indigenous heritage as an adult, and he has remained eager for more knowledge about his ancestry.

“We found it out because my grandad was adopted, so there was a gap in the family tree,” Boland told News Corp back in 2017.

“My mum’s brother wanted to find out more about our family history and stuff so he started researching.

“The first we heard about it we didn’t understand too much.

“But the more we’ve talked about it together – me, my brother and my mum – and the more we got involved in the Indigenous program we can tell it means so much to a lot of people.”

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...l/news-story/1e4e1b072c623e5e04df06c35baa5a74

 

[MenInG]

England announce Test side for MCG game:

Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson.

 

[MenInG]

The NSW Government has guaranteed the Sydney New Year’s Test will go ahead despite the city’s unravelling Covid-19 situation.

Sydney has been inundated with tens of thousands of positive cases over the past week and under the current rules, close contacts must isolate for seven days.

In Victoria, close contacts are only required to isolate until a negative test is returned.

Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.

After members of England’s touring party tested positive this week, it prompted concerns the NSW rules could put the Sydney Test in jeopardy.

But NSW health Minister Brad Hazzard on Tuesday moved to quash any concerns, declaring the rules would be tweaked so the fourth Test could go ahead in the Harbour City as scheduled.

“The SCG Test is sacred, an important date at the start of the third year of our life with COVID-19,” Hazzard said.

“I want to assure the cricket-loving public, under our rules any players with exposure to a known case of COVID-19 would be asked to test and isolate only until a negative result was received.

“If there are any cases within the teams, their support staff, or families, we will work with the people involved to ensure they are safe, and there is as little disruption to others as possible.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...d/news-story/7f6a44a757b619d9f730177d5b0dda56