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Steve Smith has been cleared of a finger injury and is fine to start the first Ashes Test after being struck on the gloves in training.
Australia’s star batsman from four years ago in England, Smith sent a minor scare through Australia’s camp on Wednesday afternoon when he was hit in the nets.
But the right-hander was cleared of any damage on Thursday morning, and is set to train again on match eve in a massive boost for Australia.
A buoyant Smith believes he is a better batsman now than in 2019, and feels a repeat of his Bradman-esque 2019 Ashes is not out of the question.
Smith’s 2019 Ashes series was the stuff of wizardry. His return of 774 runs at an average of 110.54 was the best by an Australian on English soil since Don Bradman in 1930, with three centuries and only one score below 80.
Steve Smith of Australia reacts after being struck on the finger in the nets in Birmingham. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
He still classes his twin tons at Edgbaston as the favourite Test centuries of his career, with the hundreds coming on return after his one-year ban out of Cape Town.
But the 34-year-old was eager to point out the series was not a one-off in his career.
He averaged 137.4 when Australia beat England 4-0 at home in 2017/18, and has averaged 83.26 in all Tests in England since his maiden ton at The Oval in 2013.
It’s part of the reason why he believes it is possible to repeat what he achieved in England four years ago.
“I hope I’m better. I strive every day to be better,” Smith said.
“It was obviously a good series for me last time here, and I’d love to replicate something similar and help us lift the urn at the end, but we’ll wait and see.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“My Ashes series before that back home was reasonable as well. I’ve had a couple of good ones, it’d be nice to repeat it again.”
Smith is aware England will come armed with more plans for him this time.
They have shown in training they will use a leg-slip for Smith against the quicks, in tactics similar to the one first used by New Zealand and Neil Wagner with short-pitched bowling in 2019/20.
The ploy effectively had the same impact as bodyline on Bradman.
While it didn’t completely silence Smith, it slowed down his scoring and brought his average on par with others.
Smith briefly changed his technique last home summer to counter the plan, but will return to the technique used in England in 2019 during these Ashes.
The one issue for England is they do not have a left-hander like Wagner, and the decision to leave Mark Wood out for Edgbaston leaves them without an out-and-out quick.
But Smith said he expected the hosts to get “funky” and was ready for whatever was thrown at him.
“I’m getting in my mind different things that they’ll come with and how I’m likely to play it,” he said.
“We’ve seen in the last 12 months they do some funky things and they’re going to have to try some different things at certain times.
“One of my big strengths has been I’ve been able to adapt on the go and understand what they’re trying to do and solve the problem out there in the middle.”
England have been handed a significant boost ahead of the Ashes with Ben Stokes set to be able to bowl in the first Test after a lengthy net session.
The hosts on Wednesday revealed their team for the opening Test, with veterans Stuart Broad and James Anderson both named to start the series at Edgbaston.
Amid concerns about their longevity at ages 36 and 40, England have opted to go with the pair, leaving out Mark Wood and naming Ollie Robinson as the third quick.
Jonny Bairstow, who scored four centuries in five innings last year, will bat at No.7 for the English in a real sign of their depth.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said favouring Broad over Wood was the right option.
“Stuart Broad is Stuart Broad. The last decision has been framed as Broad v Mark Wood, but for me whoever else was in the attack, Broad had to play,” he wrote in a column for the UK Telegraph.
“Yes, there is the brilliant theatre of his battle with David Warner, which will have come into things. But Broad has had a great year under this management, with his average and strike-rate both lower, and crucially he has actually played some cricket.
“You just cannot go into a Test match, especially the first Test of an Ashes series, where not one member of your attack, not even the spinner, has bowled for weeks and weeks.”
With concerns lingering over Stokes’ problematic left knee, the allrounder sent down five overs at full speed in the Edgbaston nets on Wednesday.
The bowl marked his most strenuous since having his IPL ended by a number of injuries in April, while also battling ongoing issues with his knee.
Stokes has attempted to play down concerns around his fitness in the past week, after going four weeks without bowling in the lead up to the Test series.
He did not bowl in England’s one-off Test win over Ireland, and showed a grimace after hobbling when taking a catch on third morning.
The 32-year-old then returned to bowling in the nets after them match, and completed a solo mid-wicket session bowling at around 50 per cent on Tuesday.
Stuart Broad celebrates. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
But Wednesday’s spell will give England hope he can bowl in the first Test come Friday. “To have him back on the park, it’s going to be a big boost for us really,” England batter Harry Brook said.
“In my opinion, he’s the best allrounder in the world and has been for many years now.”
Stokes’ fitness looms as crucial for England. With Jack Leach out of the team and Moeen Ali admitting he is not a bowler to hold up an end, Stokes’ overs will be invaluable around Broad, Robinson and Anderson.
The allrounder bowled himself to the ground in the last Ashes series in England in 2019, with his 5-56 in 24.2 overs at Headingley overshadowed only by his fourth-innings batting feats.
Stokes has been forced to manage a chronic issue in his left knee in recent years, and had the issue flare up during England’s tour of New Zealand in February.
If he is able to get through the Ashes, there is a clear window for Stokes to have a long rest period for his knee, given he is retired from white-ball cricket and England have no more Tests this year.
ENGLAND TEAM FOR FIRST TEST: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson.
Australia will officially enter the Ashes with the best three batsmen in the world, after becoming the first side in almost four decades to claim a trifecta in the ICC rankings.
Travis Head’s sparkling 163 against India at The Oval has moved him from sixth to third in the latest ICC rankings, behind Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.
Head’s personal-best ranking caps a stunning rise from being out of Australia’s side ahead of the last Ashes series 19 months ago.
It also marks the first time a team has occupied the top three batting spots since 1984 when West Indies’ Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd and Larry Gomes were first, second and third.
“It’s cool to see us all at the top of the tree in terms of the rankings,” Smith said.
Steve Smith. (Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
“Those two in particular, the improvements they’ve made over the last four or five years have been exceptional.
“We all do it completely differently. Obviously Trav comes out and plays very aggressively and takes the game on and see ball, hit ball mentality.
“Marnus and I probably think our way through situations a little bit different.”
Usman Khawaja also makes for a fourth Australian in the top 10, albeit after dropping two spots from seventh to ninth after two low scores at The Oval.
England have just the one batter in the top 15, with Joe Root at No.6.
But their bowling remains primed for the series.
While much of the focus has been on England’s batting in the past 12 months, the hosts have James Anderson (second), Ollie Robinson (sixth) and Stuart Broad (10th) in the world’s top 10 bowlers.
Their record has also improved significantly under coach Brendon McCullum, who has given them the freedom to set more attacking fields in the hunt for wickets.
England’s bowlers have gone from taking a wicket once every 67 balls before McCullum’s arrival to every 51 balls in the past year.
Their average has also dropped from 33.1 to 28.4, which is why Smith knows success in this year’s Ashes for Australia will mean far more than any rankings record.
“We don’t play for those reasons. It’s to help the team have success,” Smith said.
“The more runs we get and stay in those rankings, it probably helps us out in in terms of the team as well. That’s the important thing.”
Pat Cummins remains at No.3 on the bowler’s list behind India’s omitted spinner from the Test Championship final Ravichandran Ashwin and Anderson.
Harry Brook celebrates his century in Wellington. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
England batter Harry Brook is only a new face at international level but he is not daunted by the reputations of the Australian bowlers he’ll face in the Ashes.
The middle-order strokemaker, who has tallied 818 runs at 81.8 in his first seven Tests, including four centuries and a strike rate of 99.03, was asked if he would go after Nathan Lyon as he’s done to other Test spinners.
“What do you think? If he bowls a good ball then I’m going to respect it. Other than that, I’m going to try and take him on,” he said.
“He could get a lot of wickets, but hopefully we’re going to hit him for a lot of runs. I’d like to think I’m a player who can find gaps and hit different gaps.
“Australia are one of the best teams in the world and are coming here off the back of a world championship win. I’ve always wanted to play against the best and see how good I really am.
“Not that I’m really bothered who’s bowling at me. They’re good but it’s just another cricket ball coming down at me.”
Australia will avoid returning to Headingley in four years time for the Ashes after England officials scrapped both the Leeds venue and Old Trafford from the 2027 men’s calendar.
The English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed their venues for 2027 on Tuesday, with Southampton to host its first men’s Ashes Test.
Trent Bridge also returns to the calendar, marking Australia’s first visit there since their 2015 disaster when they were bowled out for 60 on the first morning.
They also had similar troubles at the ground in 2013 when they slumped to 9-117 in their first innings before Ashton Agar rescued Australia in a losing cause.
But the Australians will at least avoid the scene of Ben Stokes’ heroics from 2019 with no trip to Leeds scheduled for 2027.
The site of two of England’s finest Ashes acts, with Stokes’ effort four years ago replicating Ian Botham’s at the ground in 1981, Headingley will host the third Test this year.
Manchester is also missing from the 2027 itinerary with no match scheduled for Old Trafford, leavingTests at Edgbaston, Lord’s, Trent Bridge, Southampton and The Oval.
Headingley and Old Trafford then return to the calendar for the 2031 series, with Edgbaston and Southampton to drop off.
That will mark only the second Ashes series not to include a Test at Edgbaston since 1981.
Women’s Tests will be played at Headingley in 2027 and Southampton in 2031 as part of multi-format series.
MEN’S ASHES TEST VENUES, 2027
Lord’s
The Oval
Edgbaston
Southampton
Trent Bridge
* Order TBC
MEN’S ASHES TEST VENUES, 2031
Lord’s
The Oval
Trent Bridge
Old Trafford
Headingley
* Order TBC
WOMEN’S ASHES TEST, 2027
Headingley
WOMEN’S ASHES TEST, 2031
Southampton
1 – mock obituary. That’s all it took to ignite the Ashes legend when The Sporting Times in 1882 published journalist Reginald Shirley Brooks’ comical death notce … “In Affectionate Remembrance of English Cricket which died at the Oval on 29th August, 1882, Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. R.I.P. N.B.—The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.”
with AAP
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