England will need to bring some quality fast-bowling sticks and stones to this stoush, and they have just two weapons of that type in 35-year-old Mark Wood and 30-year-old Jofra Archer, both of whom have proven fragile. It would surprise if either completed three of the five Tests, and they will have to perform constantly and consistently as a pair to keep pressure on Australian batters. There are many eggs in the Wood-Archer basket.
It used to be normal practice that a squad of 15 or 16 was selected for the full tour of five Tests, but now teams think they can prepare fast bowlers for minimal action. Rock-hard Antipodean pitches are tough on the knees, ankles and back, especially if the challenge is to bowl very fast rather than settle for medium pace.
Bowling in Australia is not meant to be easy. Mental and physical resilience are as vital over 25 days of play as the skill required to bowl a wicket-taking delivery. It’s called a Test for a reason.
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England should be re-examining past tours to get to the bottom of why they have often failed to bowl Australia out twice – a 24-carat necessity to win a Test match. ”Bowlers win matches, batsmen save them” – the old aphorism has never been truer than last year’s India series, where two Tests were won inside three days and bowlers on both teams dominated.
It took short innings with impact, such as the Konstas MCG debut, to divert momentum away from the quicks. If Australia’s curators return to producing traditional five-day pitches that reward hard work, persistence and an extra yard or two of speed, then the fitness of Archer and Wood will be supremely examined.
England’s slow bowling options look thin, with off-spinner Shoaib Bashir supported by part-timers such as Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks, which only reinforces the key role classic pitches can play. Rolling out wickets like the ones seen last year, with thick, green grass, will only bring England closer to Australia. Home-ground advantage should count for something. Australia are better equipped to win a series of attrition.
England have useful tall, medium-fast seam bowlers in Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse, who will be called on to deliver the bulk of the hack-work overs. Ben Stokes will bowl on a bloody stump with one arm if necessary – he would probably consider such a scenario “just a flesh wound” – but his ability to bowl key overs maybe the biggest single factor in this series.
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Two Sheffield Shield games remain for the home players to fine-tune their preparations. Steve Smith will play for NSW next week, Nathan Lyon will play a third match, while Beau Webster should be in the Tassie XI coming off an ankle sprain. Cameron Green is scheduled to bowl a couple of competitive overs, having been hampered by a side strain – if he doesn’t, then Webster will surely play in front of him.
I deferred to the modern-day oracle to validate my all-too-human analysis of the sides’ batting line-ups. AI, itself simultaneously flawed and omnipotent, was asked the simple question: “What should the Australian batting order be for the first Test?” The response came back in seconds and, as expected, was contentious:
“Shohei Ohtani to open the batting and the bowling.”
Yep, sure he does for the LA Dodgers, but wrong sport, AI! Steve Smith was named at No.4 and Travis Head at No.5, but when Nathan Lyon was listed at No.6, I hit the delete button. Maybe some historical nightwatchman duties had confused the algorithm.
I didn’t bother with England. They have enough problems without AI adding to them.