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The Ashes are an even contest for the first time in a decade

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Roar Guru
31st July, 2019
4

It’s a dawn of a new era when arch rivals England and Australia take centre stage for the national anthems at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Not only does it mark the beginning of the ICC Test Championship, but for the first time in a decade, the contest looks to be evenly matched.

England haven’t lost a series at home for the last five years, and the momentum of beating Australia in the semi-final of the World Cup then winning the trophy would have given them confidence.

Australia, with big guns David Warner and Steve Smith back in the side, are also boosted by a fit James Pattinson.

World Cup squad members are accustomed to English conditions, as are many red-ball specialists.

This county season for Essex, Peter Siddle has taken 34 wickets at just 20.08 in eight matches to force his way back into the Australian squad for his sixth Ashes series. Cameron Bancroft has been in solid form for Durham, and his 726 runs at 45 with two centuries was enough for selectors to reward him over Joe Burns.

Bancroft’s 93 not out in the warm-up match on a tough pitch showed the tenacity needed to build big scores on English soil.

Australian opening batsman Cameron Bancroft walks out of the dressing rooms

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

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Since his comeback last November, Pattinson has picked up 41 wickets in 11 Sheffield Shield games, and 15 wickets across his last two first-class outings. This form commanded his spot in the starting eleven.

The batting order looks up to Smith, who has effectively combatted Jimmy Anderson in past series. With more swing on offer with the Dukes ball, this Anderson vs Smith battle could decide the outcome of this series – especially because Travis Head, Tim Paine and Matthew Wade are inexperienced on English soil.

Even Usman Khawaja struggles against Anderson, and most of Warner’s runs against the English have come in Australia.

With the Dukes ball swinging all day, Anderson is skilled enough to not give any width to Warner to cut or drive through the off side. However, Warner is coming off a fantastic IPL and World Cup campaign, so he’ll be full of confidence.

For England, problems persist at the top of the order. Rory Burns is yet to taste success as a Test opener while Jason Roy has struggled when there is a bit of movement on offer, even in his preferred limited-overs formats.

Theses weaknesses have forced Joe Root to bat at No.3, where he’s enjoyed much less success than his preferred No.4 position. Jonny Bairstow is coming off a pair against Ireland, and for all the success Ben Stokes had in the World Cup, his form since 2018 in Test cricket hasn’t been encouraging either.

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Stokes would like to carry the momentum of the World Cup and delight of getting back the vice-captaincy when he steps on the field.

Stuart Broad would love to capture past form against the Aussies, and although Jofra Archer excelled in the World Cup, he is still raw in the Test arena, so the onus is on Anderson and Broad to make inroads.

The lively Edgbaston crowd will be the 12th man for England, and this series opener will be crucial to Australia’s chances.

If they can come out victorious or get away with a draw, the odds going ahead will be in favour of Australia.

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