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In a big contest, you want to land the first punch to set the tone for the rest of the series.
To me it seems England is a bit wary of landing that first punch. They have all advantages; familiarity, Dukes ball, swing friendly conditions and a recent demolition job of the Aussies in the World Cup.
But they seem reluctant to go all-out attacking and rather seem to be circling their opponent before throwing a punch.
England have announced their team. Jofra Archer is not included in the XI for the first Test. Fair enough; it’s a long series and they want him 100 per cent for the maximum number of Tests he can play in the series.
Even with a few Ashes rookies, they have good depth in the batting with a bevvy of all-rounders. Perhaps some may argue there is only one genuine one in Ben Stokes. But Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes have Test match hundreds to their credit. They have opted for an extra batsman instead of the left-arm swing and the more than capable batting of Sam Curran for the first Test.
To me, that is a defensive ploy. Curran’s intervention in last year’s Pataudi Trophy series in England against India turned the series in hosts’ favour. His left-arm swing is a variety that the English attack may miss; especially against the Aussies who can’t handle swing. Sure, there are the old masters in James Anderson and Stuart Broad with Woakes in tandem.
However, Curran provides a variety that can be very handy – especially with the older ball. By adding Curran, in place of Joe Denly, England could have increased their attacking potential without diluting their batting capabilities.
With in-form Jonny Bairstow at no.6 and three all-rounders to follow, that is plenty of back up for the top order. Apparently, the skipper and his selection team is not confident of the top order and is looking for insurance in one extra batsman; albeit from a rookie. To win a Test match you need to take 20 wickets; scoring 500 – which is not a certainty – is no guarantee for a win.
Australia seem equally unsure about attacking. They have, perhaps, the most potent attacking weapon in the world. When he is firing on all cylinders, there is none better than Mitchell Starc.
They have now, a fit and firing James Pattinson to unleash against the English top order. If both these bowlers bowl in tandem especially with a new ball, it could be a relentless attack at both ends. With Pat Cummins in irrepressible form of late, it forms as potent a trifecta as any that the English can provide.
But it seems Starc is likely to miss for a work-horse in Peter Siddle. It seems like Australian team management is thinking about containing batting partnerships rather than not letting them develop; a defensive ploy at best.
Perhaps the possibility of the wicket becoming progressively easy to bat may be a reason for this defensive tactic. In that case, though, it is even more surprising especially when they have one of the best spinners on the Test circuit who can not only contain, but attack from one end, giving freedom to the skipper to rotate his guns at the other end.
Does it reveal the dilemma both skippers may be facing? Australian batting is unsure; only recently have they seen the return of the banned trio from Sandpapergate. While the two of these three are top guns proven in all conditions; the third is a very fine upcoming batsman.
However, it remains to be seen how they will handle the pressure of the inevitable verbal barbs from the host country’s fanbase. The Aussie middle order is also unsettled; Usman Khawaja has been reasonable in Ashes before, but he is coming back from an injury.
Travis Head is still unproven in Ashes series on English grounds, while Mitchell Marsh is Mitchell Marsh!
The fact the second wicket-keeper is outscoring the country’s other middle-order batsmen is a sign of weakness in the domestic circuit for these positions. While there are all possibilities for Matthew Wade to prove a thorn in the English side, it is more potential than fact. A batting conundrum for the Aussies, for sure!
That is why I am more surprised that the Aussies may opt for a relatively defensive Siddle in place of wicket-taking Starc. If anything, they will need wickets more than runs to win this contest.
English are equally unsure about their top order, which has been a merry-go-round for a while. If Joe Root comes in at No.3, which seems certain, it will be a reluctant skipper who would rather bat at No.4.
The danger of the team’s best batsman getting exposed very early to the new ball is something Aussies wouldn’t mind. The new openers Rory Burns and Jason Roy haven’t played in the Ashes yet; a significant psychological pressure. At four, they have pencilled in Joe Denly, a 33-year-old who has played only three Tests so far (one being against Ireland); another Ashes rookie.
Their worry is understandable since a fired up Aussie opening attack can get into the middle order of this English side quite quickly. However, with Jos Buttler and Bairstow, both quite experienced and reasonably in-form batsmen, they can afford to think of runs from a developing all-rounder like Curran who will provide an attacking edge to their bowling.
I believe, a wicket taken is lot more valuable than runs scored in English conditions.
In any case, this English reluctance to go for the first punch has, in my opinion, evened up this contest. It is never easy to beat English at home, so Aussies won’t be complaining! Especially when the advantage is given by the opponent!
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