Ashes 2nd Test: PREVIEW

Favourites Australia started their Ashes campaign on a formidable note, thrashing England convincingly by nine wickets at Gabba. As both sides move to Adelaide for the second test, the visitors will be eyeing to win and level up the series. The Adelaide Test will be a day&night encounter, and Root and co. will be fancying their chances with a swinging pink ball under the lights. The greatest strength of English has been the swing bowlers over the years in Test cricket. So they would feel more firepower in their arsenal to fight against their long-standing rivals in the pink-ball Test match. 

Australia

The hosts have some injury concerns as Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out, and the condition of Warner is yet to be confirmed. Australia will be hoping for David Warner to get fit as he is their vital member in home conditions in the longer format. Jhye Richardson will be making a strong contention case to get into the 11 as he was in terrific form in the domestic season, claiming 23 wickets from 8 innings in Sheffield Sheild 2021-22. The rest looks sorted for them, with Pat Cummins leading them from the front. The century by Head in the first test gave quite a boost in the Australian middle-order after Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

England

The best chance for visitors in the Ashes is the day and night Test matches. With Stuart Broad and James Anderson returning into 11, the English bowling unit will be all charged up. With the pink ball, under the lights, the duo will be more lethal than ever, but the fragileness in the batting stays as a concern for the English side. Apart from skipper Root, no one has been consistent throughout the year. The runs from Dawid Malan is a good sign moving forward but it’s high time for Jos Buttler& Ben Stokes to get some runs under their belt and reduce the pressure of Joe Root.

Head to Head

Overall: Australia leads 147-110
In AUS: Australia leads 96-57
At Adelaide: Australia leads 18-9
Winners in last 5 Tests: AUS, ENG, AUS, ENG, Draw

Probable XI:-

AUS: Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins ©, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jhye Richadson.

ENG: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler, Jack Leach/Dom Bess, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson.

History of Day & Night Tests in Australia:

Australia has played 8 Day and night Tests at home & they have a prodigious 100% winning record. It started in 2015 against New Zealand, and during the last summer, they beat India.

In 2017-18 Ashes, Australia beat England by 120 runs in the Day&Night Test at Adelaide.

Stats with fun at Adelaide:

Steve Smith scored 493 runs from 7 Tests at an average of 54.77
David Warner average 80+ on this venue with 1000+ runs.
Nathan Lyon took 51 wickets in 10 Tests with 4 five-wicket hauls.

Most runs in Day & Night Test cricket:

David Warner – 993
Marnus Labuschagne – 897
Steve Smith – 599

Most wickets in Day & night Test:

Mitchell Starc – 46
Josh Hazlewood – 32
Nathan Lyon – 29
Pat Cummins – 26

Match Ups

Australia

Warner vs Anderson: 9 dismissals, Avg 30.3
Warner vs Broad: 12 dismissals, Avg 29.9
Smith vs Anderson: 6 dismissals, Avg 63
Smith vs Stokes: 3 dismissals, Avg 95.3
Smith vs Broad: 8 dismissals, Avg 58.4
Labuschagne vs Broad: 78 runs for no dismissals
Labuschagne vs Leach: 3 dismissals, Avg 28
Harris vs Broad: 3 dismissals, Avg 9.3
Head vs Broad: 3 dismissals, Avg 10.3
 

England

Root vs Lyon: 7 dismissals, Avg 51.6
Root vs Hazlewood: 8 dismissals, Avg 32.5
Root vs Cummins: 7 dismissals, Avg 22.6
Burns vs Cummins: 5 dismissals, Avg 19.6
Buttler vs Cummins: 5 dimissals for 50 runs
Buttler vs Lyon: 4 dismissals, Avg 20.5
Stokes vs Lyon: 6 dismissals, Avg 53
Stokes vs Starc: 3 dismissals, Avg 16.3

Captains remark:

Pat Cummins – “David Warner will be right, he had a bat yesterday, batted with some discomfort but knowing Davey he is not going to miss this one. He will be fine when the adrenaline kicks in. It is one thing batting in the nets, different thing with a packed crowd”.

Joe Root – “I expected too much from Ben stokes. It’s because I see him almost as a bit of a superhero. Look at what he has done in the last few years, at least once a series or maybe twice a series, he has done something extraordinary which has won us a game on its own”.

Prediction

The experience will be one of the deciding factors and  Australia holds an upper hand in that regard in Day&Night Test matches. Therefore they start as the favourites in second Ashes Test.
 

Broadcasters and match time

Sony network and 9.30 am IST.

Dream XI