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Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton dissect England’s XI for the second Ashes Test, with off-spinning all-rounder Will Jacks replacing fast bowler Mark Wood for the pink-ball game<\/p>\n
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This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies. Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Spreaker cookies. Enable Cookies<\/a> The all-rounder said of The Gabba: “Lots of our guys are on their first Ashes tour so this is going to be a new experience for them. No, it doesn’t hold too much fear.<\/p>\n “Every time you go out there your juices are always flowing, regardless of the venue you do play at.<\/p>\n “For Australia, I guess the Gabba is a little bit like Edgbaston or Headingley are for us, where you take a lot of confidence at home if you’ve got good records at those grounds.<\/p>\n “You also understand that Australia know this is a very good ground for them but we’re excited for that.<\/p>\n “Obviously, records for teams go back a long, long time. Many teams have gone to the Gabba and lost to Australia but this is a brand new outfit.”<\/p>\n Image: ‘We need to enjoy Australia – it’s the best country to tour’<\/p>\n On the heavy media presence following his team, Stokes added: “Australia is the best country to tour away from cricket.<\/p>\n “There are so many things to do. One of the important things on tour when you’re under pressure is to go out, free your mind and enjoy yourself.<\/p>\n “They are going to be there and film us, so the message to the group is please don’t make decisions based on the fact you might get caught on camera.<\/p>\n “We are human. We need to enjoy countries when we get the opportunity, because we live in England, where it is miserable, freezing cold and dark at 4pm.<\/p>\n “I don’t see anything wrong with going out and spending your time off on a golf course or having coffee or lunch, riding on a scooter.<\/p>\n “It’s fine if they [the media] want to keep doing it, they are all polite and don’t intrude on our personal space. We have a job to do, they have a job to do.”<\/p>\n Root said he was confident of rediscovering his touch as he questioned the need for a day-night Ashes Test<\/p>\n What will be key for England in day-night Test?<\/p>\n England have lost five of their seven day-night Tests, including all three in Australia, while the home side have 13 victories from 14 in the format, with the only blot a defeat to West Indies in Brisbane in January 2024.<\/p>\n Stokes said: “We have amazing resources with information, data, all that kind of stuff. I get our analyst to send me over all the info on the day-night cricket that’s been played at the Gabba and also in Australia recently.<\/p>\n “There’s daylight, dusk and also the period when the floodlights do come on, so you’re just trying to give yourself as much information as possible.<\/p>\n England’s Ollie Pope discusses the challenges of the pink-ball Test<\/p>\n “Something we’ve spoken about is being conscious of keeping that ball as dry as possible, because as soon as that pink Kookaburra goes soft, it’s going to be a lot harder to feel like you can make a breakthrough with anything on the wicket.<\/p>\n “We’ve been all around the world where you get a softer ball and making breakthroughs seems a lot harder just because of that soft ball. All those tiny little things we’ve had to consider for this week.<\/p>\n “I think our liaison officers got tasked with going out and buying about 60 sweat bands for all of us.”<\/p>\n Ashes series in Australia 2025-26<\/p>\n All times UK and Ireland<\/p>\n
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\n Stokes’ side are 1-0 down in the five-Test Ashes series after their capitulation in Perth<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/skysports-joe-root-cricket_7096226.jpg\")
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