The oldest cricketing rivalry resumes on the 8th of December as Australia take on England in the 1st Ashes Test at the Gabba. Both teams head into these Ashes on the back of a loss in their previous Test series, and here are some of the major talking points ahead of this much-anticipated clash between the two cricketing giants.
Cummins the Captain
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No Ashes build-up is complete without some drama, and Tim Paine provided that much-needed controversy as the wicketkeeper stood down as Australia captain after his involvement in a text-messaging scandal. Paine’s decision to step down from the team has opened the doors for Alex Carey to make his Test debut with the gloves and allowed Pat Cummins to become the first bowling captain of the Australian cricket team since Richie Benaud.
Cummins has played 33 of Australia’s 35 Tests since making his comeback in 2017, but there will be plenty of challenges that the bowler will have to overcome as a skipper. Cummins’ only professional captaincy experience is in four one-day games for New South Wales, and the pacer will have to figure out how much to bowl himself and when to come out of the attack to become a successful captain for Australia.
The Return of Stokes
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England’s Ashes hopes were given a major boost with the announcement that all-rounder Ben Stokes will make his return to the side in Australia after taking some time off to focus on his mental health.
Stokes’ return improves England’s balance significantly, strengthening their batting at number five while also giving them an extra bowling option in the top six. The all-rounder’s presence is also good news for Jack Leach, who didn’t play a single Test against India over the summer as England wanted to play four-seamers.
Stokes hasn’t played a Test match in Australia since 2014, but his experience and ability to impact the game with the bat, ball and in the field gives the visitors a much better chance to win their first Ashes in Australia in a decade.
The Batting Supporting Cast
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Based on recent form, both England and Australia have two elite batters in their side in Smith, Labuschagne, Root and Stokes. The rest of the batters are either past their prime in whites – Warner and Bairstow – or still finding their feet in the Test arena like Cameron Green, Zak Crawley or Haseeb Hameed.
For Australia, David Warner, Marcus Harris and Travis Head all struggled in the India series last year, while lower-order players like Cameron Green and Alex Carey are still infants in Test cricket. On the other hand, the visitors have only two batters not named Joe Root averaging more than 30 in 2021, with the likes of Buttler, Bairstow and Malan unable to replicate their white-ball heroics in Test cricket.
For either side to win the Ashes, the contribution of the supporting cast is going to play a crucial role, but considering the home advantage and the superior quality of their bowling attack, Australia do hold the edge.
[Featured Image Credit: Cricket Australia]
Shivaan Shah