Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey has offered a word of warning about the third Ashes Test after England coach Brendon McCullum suggested Adelaide Oval would suit his side’s aggressive style. History suggests that’s not the case though and Carey has pointed out that the Adelaide wicket is not the batter’s paradise some have made it out to be.
Even though it’s been long regarded as the best pitch in Australia to bat on for decades – before the introduction of the pink ball – the numbers tell a different story. In fact, even with the introduction of the pink ball, Test batting averages at Adelaide Oval with the red ball are the second-lowest behind only Bellerive for Australian venues over the last decade.
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has warned England coach Brendon McCullum that Adelaide Oval will not be as favourable for the batters as he might think. Pic: Getty
Granted, only two red-ball Tests have been played at the ground over the past 10 years. But the highest team total in either of those matches came in 2018 when India made 307 against Australia. And it’s made for an underwhelming batting average of just 22.77 per player, compared to 18.40 at Bellerive Oval.
In comparison, the SCG has the highest batting average of 36.38 over the last decade. Adelaide has traditionally been a flatter wicket than other venues around the country and it’s something the England batters prefer. Their ‘BazBall’ tactics have largely been adopted around flatter, batter-friendly pitches in England that complement their aggressive style.
And speaking before the third Test – starting on Wednesday – England’s coach was optimistic about his side’s prospects in Adelaide as they look to save the series from 2-0 down. McCullum feels Adelaide Oval’s drop-in pitch and short square boundaries will suit his men better than Perth and Brisbane, and insists they’ll persist with an aggressive approach.
RELATED:
“We had a plan that we felt would give ourselves the best chance of being successful. We haven’t quite executed that so far and Australia have seized those key moments, and hence they sit two-nil up,” McCullum told reporters on Sunday. “It doesn’t mean that we throw that plan out.
“If anything, we just need to chisel away at some of the things that haven’t gone quite right and make sure that we still have that conviction of what we’re trying to achieve. I think these conditions should suit our style a little bit better as well. That doesn’t mean we couldn’t have been successful previously, but this is probably more attuned to what our best form of cricket, our best style of cricket (is).”
England coach Brendon McCullum thinks the Adelaide Oval venue for the third Ashes Test will be better suited to his side’s aggressive style of play. Pic: Getty
Alex Carey delivers Adelaide Oval reality check for England
But with history showing wickets have fallen at a quicker rate in Adelaide than in pink-ball matches, and batting averages also down on other grounds, McCullum’s optimism may be misplaced. South Australian Carey knows the ground better than most, and says it’s a mistake to think Adelaide Oval will be better for the batters.
“In terms of flatness, I think Adelaide is very consistent, which doesn’t make it a batting paradise the whole time,” Carey said. “There is always something with the new ball, but there is always something for the batters to score big runs.
“I love playing here, Trav (Head) loves playing here, the Australian cricket team loves playing here. I think there will be enough in it for bat and ball. Sheffield Shield wickets this year have been great for batting and bowling. A bit of spin comes into it late.”
Seven centuries have been scored across four Shield games at Adelaide Oval this summer. But the pitch doesn’t offer the same sort of bounce as Perth or the Gabba which could be a boost for England’s chances, particularly with the expected return of captain Pat Cummins into the Aussie bowling attack.
Carey’s revelation about spin coming into play late in the match does strengthen the prospect of Nathan Lyon returning though. It leaves pacemen Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett as the most likely to drop out of the Aussie XI from the side that won in Brisbane, while Josh Inglis could also make way if Usman Khawaja is recalled to the batting attack.
with AAP