England captain Joe Root is daring Australia to continue their brazen assault on tweaker Jack Leach as he ponders recalling his most experienced pacemen for the second Ashes Test.
Root admits he has some “big decisions” about the make-up of his bowling attack for the day-night Test in Adelaide starting on Thursday.
Root must decide whether to recall fast men Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, who were both controversially overlooked for the series-opener in Brisbane which Australia won by nine wickets.
“We have obviously got some big decisions to make,” Root told reporters on Tuesday.
“One of the great things going into this Test match is both of them should be fit and ready to go.
“And with that amount of experience within your squad, it’s obviously exciting, so plenty of good options to choose from.”
Anderson – England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker with 632 victims, with Broad next-best with 524 scalps – is considered a certainty to play at Adelaide Oval.
But whether star allrounder Ben Stokes, who jarred a knee in the first Test, can deliver meaningful overs is another query for Root.
“We will find out in the next couple of days,” Root said of Stokes’ fitness.
“… Hopefully it is just something that he has shaken off now and we can see him back at full intensity and it gives us all options on the table.”
But after bowling just 12 of England’s 110 overs at the Gabba, Stokes played down the injury in his column for English newspaper The Mirror on Tuesday.
“People will have seen me rubbing my knee from time to time when I was in the field, but rest assured I’m fine,” he wrote.
“It is an old injury that flares up every now and again, but I know how to manage it.
“It just gets a little bit uncomfortable every now and again in and around my cartilage.
“But it just looks worse than it is by the way I try and get off it as soon as I can.”
Another conundrum is left-arm spinner Leach, who was thrashed for 1-102 from just 13 overs in Australia’s comprehensive win at the Gabba.
But Root said Leach, if picked for Adelaide, would be different proposition on a more spin-friendly pitch than in Brisbane.
“I am sure he will want to respond and he will want to get back into the series and have an impact,” he said.
“Some of the grounds that we will be going to from this point onwards should offer a lot more for him and bring spin into it as well.
“I don’t think it’s as straightforward as looking at that (Leach) as a concern.
“They (Australia) took an opportunity and played it pretty well – and most importantly is, if you get the opportunity again, if they try and do that on a wicket that is a but more responsive, then it brings him into the game even more.
“So you look at it from that point of view, spin it on its head as a positive and understand that it’s not always that easy to come at someone and take those options on.”
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Let’s all party. :laughing:
Paul
Roar Guru
I do feel sorry for Root. He's the one quality player England has, yet cops the blame for every issue they have.
Paul
Roar Guru
I made the comment elsewhere that panicking appears to have become a every English trait and you're right, in the space of only a few days, 3 years of hard work seems to gone out the door in favour of decision making on the fly. Perhaps what it really points to is poor decision making since the last Ashes, eg, failing to properly develop their spin options, failing to properly bed down an opening combination, etc. I also wonder if Silverwood tried too hard to adapt the white ball squad approach to Test cricket? Guys have been rotated & rested, but their cricket has not improved - in all aspects. As you say, it could be one & dusted before Christmas
Ian
Roar Rookie
Sadly, I think I'll shortly find that out!
U
Roar Rookie
It was clearly a plan to take him out of the game. Just like what they did to Swann years back
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Yes England will play him.. What choice really.. Ok he has only played 17 Tests but actually boasts a better bowling average than Lyon... what's happening here is the Aussies doing what they do and doing a number on Leach ....
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
The Guardian UK has a great quote:- “Haseeb Hameed, Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler have all shown some intent. If they can turn their 20s and 30s into 120s and 130s, and Root can extend his batting masterclass, and Stokes can be himself again, and Anderson and Broad can manage a swansong, we could just witness a contest.” Here’s another quote “If Marcus Harris can remind us why he was picked and Steve Smith can revert to his recent average in Ashes Tests and Green can remember where his stumps are as he did in the Shield against decent fast bowlers last season,Warner,Labs,Head and Starc won’t need to make the bulk of the runs and Australia will win by an innings and two hundred runs”
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Let’s all pity :laughing:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
We've touched on this before, but feels like all the pre-planning of Silverwood and co has gone to the dogs. England sound like they are now planning on the run after one Test. I wonder what the lessons learned will be at the end of this series? Not that the series is over, but there is a sense of the wheels about to fall off re planned strategic approach. Will be fascinating what "program" ECB adopts for the 2023 Ashes. Again this series isn't over, but could well be by Tuesday next week.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Can one not have pierced nipples and support the England Test side at the same time?
Ian
Roar Rookie
If Jack Leach is picked for the Adelaide Test, I'm finally going to give up. It'll be the Hara Krishnas and pierced nipple rings for me....Enough is enough!
Arnab Bhattacharya
Roar Guru
Bess is not the best option. Parkinson is but the English selectors are too brain dead to give him a go. Bess is average and is in the squad because he can hold a bat. Bits and pieces cricketer at best who has gotten quite lucky with his bowling in 2021
Paul
Roar Guru
The mind games have started, thanks to the assault the Aussies made on Leach. Root wants to play a spinner but knows his best bet (Leach) is a big risk. He also doesn't know whether Australia will try and belt him around as they did at the Gabba, or just milk him for 4 or 5 an over. Right now, Root's in a "damned if he does, damned if he doesn't" position. Not a great way to be going into a Test the Poms have to win.
Lance Boil
Roar Rookie
What a world of pain!
Son of Coco
Guest
They need to pick Leach so they can try to pick up a match fee this time. They know they need to up the over-rate and that would be impossible with an all-pace attack. They didn't travel half way round the world to contribute to pick up the tab for the ICC Xmas party.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
I'm not convinced the Gabba is such a spinners graveyard. Warne used to love it and Lyon seems to do Ok there. Adelaide can produce a bit more sideways spin but this is a day/night test so it doesn't get quite the same sort of wear and tear you would expect to see in a day game. Unless Leach somehow turns things right around I can't see him being any more effective in Adelaide than he was in Brisbane. .. If England play both Anderson and Broad they will pretty much have to rest Leach otherwise they'll have to drop two of the other three quicks and I just can't see them doing that. Woakes was the least of them in Brissy but they like his batting so it's a really tough call for them.
Benjamin Conkey
Editor
Leach isn't the first overseas spin bowler to struggle in Australia and he won't be the last. The problem for touring sides is actually working out what they want their spinner to do. If it's to be aggressive and take wickets then Bess is the best option but you have to back him to keep tossing it up. Leach couldn't take wickets or keep the runs down and that's a serious problem. He's the sort of bowler who needs to keep it tight first to then build pressure. He needs to take inspiration from guys like Jadeja and just fire in a few darts and slowly work into his spell. Easier said than done.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Come on Leachy boy! All of Australia is cheering you on to be selected!
Tempo
Roar Rookie
If Leach does play, England can give him the best chance of succeeding by: - Making a decent first innings score. Coming on to bowl at 1/80 chasing 150 puts all the pressure on him and none on the batsmen. - Giving him some protection down the ground, especially to Dave Warner (if he plays). It was astonishing seeing no long-on in place even after he'd been hit for multiple sixes down there - at least make the Aussie batsmen take a risk to hit sixes.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
That's what Head says he's playing to do..