The top seven is unlikely to change but the balance of England’s Adelaide attack will be crucial to chances of levelling the seriesIt would be tempting to look up to the heavens for inspiration in the City of Churches but the burden of selection falls chiefly on the shoulders of Joe Root before a day-night Ashes Test that has very quickly taken on paramount importance.Root was referred to as “player” by the crowd during his first Ashes tour, such was his lack of profile at the time, but eight years on he has won more Test matches, 27, than any other man to lead the England team. By his own admission, however, winning back the urn in Australia this winter...
Fielding an all-seam attack in day-night Test seems the logical conclusion but it’s going to be another tough selection meeting Adelaide has traditionally been a good surface, the kind a batter might look at and think: “I fancy that.” A good pitch with consistent bounce should provide the right balance between bat and ball, providing a good game of cricket – which is exactly what England need to play if they are going to get back into the series.I remember going into the day-night Test as batting coach four years ago and there was concern that the twilight period would be difficult, the transition from bright natural sunlight into evening. Batters can be a fragile lot, and there was some...
Australia have a perfect winning record in day-night Tests at the Adelaide Oval but Hazlewood’s absence will hurt the hostsTouchdown in South Australia was probably a relief for England’s cricketers, no doubt glad to see the back of Queensland after their soggy buildup was followed by defeat at the Gabba. Before landing those with a window seat also got a glorious view of the Adelaide Oval, scene of this week’s second Test.From above it is hard to miss a ground that is three parts modern mega-stadium to one part grass bank and sits nestled in the parkland north of Adelaide’s city centre. Where once there were sloped terracotta roofs three giant stands with bulbous white canopies now horseshoe around the...
Mistakes were made in selection as well as batting, bowling and fielding but Australia can be beaten if improvements are madeLast month Jack Leach was out for dinner in Brisbane with Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad when a local approached them. “Hey guys,” he said, “I just want to wish you the worst of luck at the Gabba.” So far, so tedious, but then the man added: “It’s going to be a green seamer.” This amused Leach, who was thinking: “I’m not sure that’s the best sledge to two of the greatest bowlers that England have ever had”. The joke was on that gloating Aussie, until it wasn’t – because the pitch was indeed a greentop, and England somehow omitted...
Many expect a whitewash but this series may end up being closer than widely thought if England rally as Joe Root intends“I’m not just trying to make things up. I genuinely believe that if we’d taken our chances better, and handled that first innings better, we could be sat here in a very different position.” It would be easy to disparage Joe Root’s post-defeat comments as obvious and not useful, but the England captain’s press conference was one of his stronger displays.Root’s media appearances can often be limp, conciliatory towards nothing in particular, couching each defeat in terms of lessons that England need to learn while leading a team that never learns them. In the Carl Rackemann Indoor Centre beneath...