The first Ashes Test of the summer came and went in under two days as the Aussies ran down the 205 run target set by England with as many as eight wickets still in hand! An effort that has come under serious fire by both the Australian and English media alike. Now all the attention will turn to Brisbane for the Pink Ball test- a format the Bazball boys are tremendously inexperienced in, having not played with the pink ball since the last Ashes series in Australia. England will need to put in some serious work between now and Thursday after no English born bowler took a wicket in the first Test, instead relying on New Zealand born Stokes, Barbados born Archer and South African born Carse to do the heavy lifting for their side in Perth; and after turning down the opportunity to practice with the pink ball in Canberra against the PM’s XI, one would have to think all the pressure lies on the shoulders of England.
The key match up this week for me is going to be how England’s batsmen combat Mitchell Starc. The simple fact of the matter is, he took 10 in the first Test with a red ball. They now must face the world’s all-time leading Day-Night Test Match Bowler. Starc has 81 wickets from 14 Pink Ball Tests, at an average of 17.08. It’s a challenge I just do not see the blazing style of the English top order being able to be up to task at. Crawley managed a pair, Root failed on Aussie soil again, and Stokes nearly had as many wickets as he did runs for the match. With the conditions only set to get harder as this series goes on, I can’t see England amassing more than 250 per innings in Brisbane.
The first innings for Australia in Perth left a lot to be desired after Usman Khawaja’s back issues left the top order needing to be juggled and adjusted- a disruption they did not respond well to, with no one in the top six making more than 24 runs. However, come the second innings, the Aussies were ready to take the game on. Travis Head belted his way to a match winning 123, while Marnus Labuschagne managed 51 not out in support and wrapped the game up before stumps could be called on Day 2. With a couple of extra days rest, and an opportunity to grab training by the horns, you’d have to think the Australians only come back locked in and ready to secure a second test victory for the series under the lights. Further aiding to the Aussie cause is the fact that their two leading run scorers for the first test, in Head and Labuschagne both average 51 and 60+ against the Pink Ball respectively with the bat.
There is danger afoot for the English side, as they stare down the barrel of a 2-0 series deficit and all key indicators point toward exactly that. A side with no practice against a pink ball going head to head with a side who has dominated the format since it’s inception. Starc’s dominance under lights with ball in hand is set to be the deciding factor here. I’d expect Australia to win the toss, bat, and dictate terms early with a declaration on Day 1 to force England to bat under lights. I’m tipping Australia to win by 200+ runs. Looking for official merch? Visit our cricket collection at Jerseys Mega Store.
