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BPL 2017 Finals are here! In-depth look at each team’s chances

Charbel Coorey
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Exciting times in Bangladesh with the finals of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) finally here.

Four good teams make up the final four of the BPL. Comilla Victorians, Dhaka Dynamites, Khulna Titans and Rangpur Riders will all feel they have a shot at winning the tournament. After all, anything can happen in the T20 format, and it promises to be an exciting finals series with the first eliminator beginning on Friday.

Here is an in-depth look at how each team in the final four has a chance of winning the tournament.

Comilla Victorians

Top the table. Need we say more?
9 wins in 12 matches has put Comilla just one game away from the BPL Final. It’s been a team effort by Comilla in the tournament, with no players standing out in the batting and bowling rankings for the tournament. Their best ranked player is Mohammad Saifuddin, who has taken 15 wickets and sits third in the wicket taking list.
Marlon Samuels and Imrul Kayes have been in solid form for the Victorians, and how could you ignore international stars Tamim Iqbal, Jos Buttler, Shoaib Malik and Hasan Ali? What is scary for opposition teams is that Buttler and Ali have even more to offer – especially Buttler who has had a number of low scores in a row. He’s a quality player, and the big games could really bring the best out of him.
Comilla have a good balance in their team – batsmen who can score quickly, seamers who can restrict the runs and spinners who can take wickets – and can definitely go all the way in BPL 2017.
Marlon Samuels has a good track record in big T20 games.

Dhaka Dynamites

Ah… The team that has my favourite cricketer… Shakib Al Hasan. 
I’ll try not to be too biased here but there is lots to like about Dhaka, and a massive showdown against Comilla awaits.
Dhaka possess three of the top seven wicket takers in the tournament – Shakib (1st), Abu Hider (3rd), Shahid Afridi (7th) and the 2nd highest run scorer Evin Lewis (334 runs). Lewis has been a real fine pick up for Dhaka. His strike rate of 160.57 makes him a very dangerous player for the finals. Out of players with at least 200 runs in the tournament, this strike rate is second best. 
A possible concern for Dhaka is their thin batting line up. A lot rests on Shakib and Kieron Pollard. Evidence in the last game, where they were 48/5, suggests that they need to get their batting right. If they can get their batting right, Dhaka’s spin attack can lead them to BPL glory. Sunil Narine and Shahid Afridi, in addition to Shakib is a great spin attack. Then add Pakistan star Mohammad Amir and 3rd highest BPL wicket taker Abu Hider and Dhaka have a really threatening all-round attack.
Dhaka’s net run rate of 1.631 is easily the best in the tournament, which shows they can win big. Can they score the runs required when it counts?
Shakib hit a great 47* and took 2/13 in his last game

Khulna Titans

Khulna would have been hoping for a Dhaka loss in the last game so they finish in that all-important second spot. It wasn’t to be.
Without possessing some of the big names that the other teams have, Khulna have done really well to finish where they have. Their best ranked performer is Abu Jayed, the medium pacer, with 18 wickets (2nd ranked wicket taker). However, his economy rate of 9.05 needs to improve. On the batting front, Mahmudullah sits 7th in the BPL batting charts with 292 runs. He is such an important player for the finals.
With just two Khulna players in the top 15 run scorers and wicket takers, it has been a real team effort, like Comilla Victorians. Khulna, however, will be hoping for plenty from Carlos Brathwaite, the man who famously hit all those sixes against Ben Stokes to win the World T20 last year for West Indies.
Khulna don’t possess the biggest names in world cricket but have played good cricket to get here, and can’t be written off. A big eliminator awaits.
Can Carlos Brathwaite go big in the finals?

Rangpur Riders

Khulna’s opponents for the big eliminator on Friday.
Rangpur have disappointed somewhat in this tournament. They finished with 6 wins and 6 losses. Compared to Khulna, they have bigger names in their side, namely Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum, who are devastating T20 cricketers but haven’t quite reached their peak yet. 
What is encouraging for Rangpur though is they have two batsmen in the top five run scorers in the BPL. Ravi Bopara leads the run scoring charts, with a fine tally of 365 runs at a great average of 45.62. Mohammad Mithun sits 5th, with just one more run needed to reach 300 runs. 
Can Rangpur’s batting line up click and score big? Do they have enough bowling strength to lead them to BPL glory? What impact will the Bangladesh legend Mashrafe Mortaza have? It remains to be seen.
Can McCullum and Mashrafe deliver for Rangpur?

Prediction:

All four sides have cases as to why they will be BPL 2017 champions.
Comilla and Rangpur have played well as a team, while Dhaka and Rangpur have the big names.
When you consider the conditions, spinners will play an important role. I look at Dhaka’s spin attack and it is really impressive. If their batting can click, Dhaka will be really hard to beat, as they have the firepower with the ball. I predict them to win the whole tournament.
Agree or disagree? Leave a comment!
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Stats highlights – 2nd Ashes Test: Australia beat England

Charbel Coorey
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Australia tried their best to let England back in the game, but eventually ran out winners by 120 runs in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide. The final day promised so much in terms of a close finish, but once Chris Woakes and key man Joe Root were dismissed in quick succession by Josh Hazlewood, the result was a formality.

Despite a fine second innings effort, England paid the price for a defensive approach in the first. England’s decision to bowl first screamed ‘conservative’ and ‘let’s not face Australia’s bowlers right away’. Even worse, England simply bowled too short on the first and second days, and conceded a score which was way too high. They left themselves just too much to do.

Australia were the better side and deserved to win, but are without their own concerns. Their batting collapse in the second innings is something not uncommon to Australia, especially in overseas/challenging batting conditions. England must keep believing that they can somehow retain the Ashes.

I love stats, so here are 6 key stats from the 2nd Ashes Test:

Worst run since 1920-21

England have now lost seven straight Ashes Tests in Australia, dating back to the first Test in their 5-0 series loss in 2013/14. Their worst run is eight, way back in 1920-21.
They must avoid defeat in Perth to avoid equalling this unwanted record and of course, keep their Ashes hopes alive.

Perfect 100%

Australia have now won four out of four day/night Tests. New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and now England have all fallen prey to the Aussies under lights.
Interestingly, all seven day/night Tests so far have ended in results. Definitely good for Test cricket.

The worst conversion rate among the “big four”

Joe Root made yet another 50+ score without converting to a century. In the second innings, he held the key but couldn’t add to his overnight score of 67. 
Joe Root converts just 27.66% of his 50+ scores to centuries, which is the worst for the “big four”. Interestingly though, he has the most 50+ scores out of these four (48). For England to stand a chance of fighting back in the Ashes, he needs to score hundreds.
Joe Root possess the worst conversion rate among the “big four”

There is a first for everything…

Before this Test, James Anderson had 24 five-wicket hauls in Tests, with none in Australia. In his 15th Test down under, Jimmy Anderson finally picked up his first five-wicket haul with a fine 5/43 in the second innings. He looks unstoppable when the ball swings.

Is Cook “cooked”?

Alastair Cook’s difficult run against Australia has continued.
Cook is without a century against Australia since the final Test of England’s 3-1 series win in 2010/11. Outside of his huge 766 run tally in that series, Cook has scored 1,413 runs at an average of just 27.17 v Australia.
He will play his 150th Test in Perth, and has to step up to keep England in with a shout in this series.

Record Adelaide crowd

173,849 fans flocked the gates across the first four days of the Test, going past the record of 172,361 set way back in 1933!
Fans are still interested in Test cricket, but it has to be more appealing. Day/Night Test cricket is certainly appealing. A fair battle between bat and ball is appealing. Four Day Tests aren’t the answer – competitive conditions is.
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Enough is enough… No more cricket in Delhi

Charbel Coorey
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India v Sri Lanka “contests” in 2017 haven’t offered much to talk about. India are on track to win their fifth Test against Sri Lanka this year out of six Tests. It’s been horribly one-sided.

What’s also horrible is how Delhi is still getting international matches. This Test has been an absolute farce and a terrible advert for cricket, with the poor Sri Lankans understandably struggling with the extremely poor air quality of the Indian capital. What’s been more disappointing is some of the reactions.

Players have been feeling unwell and throwing up. Coaching staff have had to put the whites on because there aren’t enough healthy fielders. Players got the masks out. What sort of advert for cricket is that?

Why do administrators not take into account the health of the players when scheduling series? Too much cricket is not a problem for administrators because it brings in the money, but surely the health of the players needs to be considered?

What’s even worse is Team India claiming Sri Lanka were deliberately trying to waste time. As a cricket fan, that’s infuriating to see. Sri Lanka have played India five times previously in Tests in 2017, and didn’t “waste” any time. But all of a sudden, in the most polluted city in the world, Sri Lanka are wasting time. How does that work? Does the image of Suranga Lakmal vomiting above suggest wasting time?

Sri Lanka players struggle with the Delhi pollution

The Air Quality Index (AQI), an index that reports daily air quality, showcases Delhi as the worst major city in the world in terms of air pollution. An AQI of 0-50 shows that the air is very clean. An AQI of 301-500 shows hazardous Air Quality.

Under a month ago, on November 8, Delhi’s AQI was said to be around the 400 mark, which is extreme. Some reporting stations even reported an AQI of 999, such is the extreme nature of Delhi’s pollution. This represents a major, and potentially fatal, health risk and yet cricket is scheduled there?

Even worse, Sri Lanka were said to be wasting time. An argument has been that Virat Kohli batted for hours and didn’t require a mask, but this doesn’t mean he or any Indian player is not affected by the air quality. It is said that breathing in the Delhi air is like smoking 50 cigarettes a day, and remember, the Sri Lankan cricketers are not used to conditions like these. Just because someone is going on about their business as normal doesn’t mean their health isn’t affected. If you smoke one cigarette, you won’t feel the impact right away. But when you start smoking 50 a day, which is equivalent to breathing in the Delhi air, your health will really begin to suffer.

This should be a lesson for all future series. The health and safety of the players must come first. Even if a player doesn’t seem affected, he is. Cricketers aren’t different to the millions of people who are sick due to the Delhi air.

It’s time to see the BCCI take a stance for the better. No more cricket in Delhi until the air quality improves significantly. We should never see what we have seen in this Test.

Rant over.

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EXCLUSIVE: Footage of Jonny Bairstow’s headbutt on Cameron Bancroft has appeared

Charbel Coorey
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Footage has surfaced of Jonny Bairstow’s headbutt on Cameron Bancroft in a Perth bar about a month ago.

In a huge revelation, third umpire Marais Erasmus judged the impact of the headbutt using “Snicko”, and the impact was significant.

Jonny Bairstow backed this up, saying “it was huge impact. After Ben Stokes was involved in a brawl outside a bar, the coach told us to ‘use our heads’, so I went ahead and did just that. However, it’d be better if we can get a few big snickos off the Australian’s bats rather than their heads.”

Here is the footage:

England captain Joe Root showed full support for Jonny Bairstow. “Jonny was just following our coach’s instructions. After losing Benny Stokes, we didn’t want to lose another key player, so Jonny did the right thing in ‘using his head.’
It will be interesting to see what comes out of this.
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2nd Ashes Test Preview – Advantage England?

Charbel Coorey
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Put simply, crazy as it may seem, England have a real shot at winning the second Test.

Why?

England’s bowlers are well equipped to take advantage of the pink ball in terms what it offers in the air and off the pitch, especially under lights. The highest maximum temperature over the five days in Adelaide is expected to be about 23 degrees, with some rain around. Add the easy-paced nature of the Adelaide pitch and England would be feeling right at home.

The downfall for England in Brisbane began when the pitch quickened up. Their second innings performance was so poor that it seemed Cameron Bancroft’s press conference about Jonny Bairstow’s headbutt lasted longer. The slower Adelaide pitch will help their cause, but question marks still remain about their top order.

Alastair Cook would love Ashes runs as his Christmas gift!

Australia, despite the big win in Brisbane, didn’t have it all their own way. It seems almost impossible at the moment, but what happens if Steve Smith bags a low score? If it wasn’t for his brilliant 141*, Australia would have faced a huge deficit, and probably defeat in Brisbane. The spotlight will remain on those around Smith, as he can’t go big all the time.

The bowlers went well, as expected. The short ball tactic again caused England to unravel, and with a little more assistance expected in Adelaide, England will have another tough outing. It would have been awesome to see Chadd Sayers included in the XI for this Test as he can exploit these conditions perfectly, but where do you fit him in?

There is no way Australia can leave out a batsman to cater for him, considering how thin the line up is looking. England’s batting also has its issues so the question is – will the team that bats the most under lights go on to lose the Test? Most probably.


Key to an Australia win



You just know the bowlers will step up, but what about the batsmen? That’s the biggest issue for Australia at the moment.

Despite nailing the 170 chase in Brisbane, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft will continue to be examined – David Warner’s little “pull flick” needs to go, and Bancroft needs to avoid squaring up. Usman Khawaja has nightmares about spinners – he’d probably have nightmares about my 7 year old cousin who bowls a bit of spin. Peter Handscomb’s unorthodox technique is being put to the test. Shaun Marsh did well in the first Test, but still has plenty to prove. Tim Paine hasn’t scored a first class century since 2006.

There is plenty for England to target in Australia’s top seven, so support for Steve Smith will go a long way to a 2-0 series lead.

In my opinion, Smith’s hundred in Brisbane was his best yet.

Key to an England win



Reducing Steve Smith’s impact…. twice.

This seems much easier said than done at the moment, with Steve Smith practically unstoppable. However, Stuart Broad and James Anderson have 899 Test wickets between them, so they have the experience and ability to unlock the prized wicket of the Australian captain.

In 2012, when Michael Clarke was scoring double hundreds for fun, Dale Steyn bowled one of the most memorable balls in Perth causing Clarke to edge behind. Anderson is best placed to produce something like this. Can he?

A low score for Steve Smith means serious pressure on a bit of a fragile batting line up, and England surely have to believe this is their best chance at a win.

Predicted line-ups:



Australia are expected to go with the same line up that won in Brisbane. What was pleasing was the high energy levels of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood even after bowling plenty of tough overs in the England first innings.

Australia XI: 1 Cameron Bancroft, 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steve Smith (c), 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Shaun Marsh, 7 Tim Paine (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Patrick Cummins, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

England would be desperate for Alastair Cook to find some form. His record in Ashes series since 2010/11 is worrying to say the least. Also, Joe Root has a problem of falling over and getting caught LBW, in addition to a 50/100 conversion rate that should be better for a player of his class. Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan all hit half-centuries in Brisbane, but England need more from Cook and Root, who are key to their chances in Adelaide. Also, expect Jonny Bairstow to headbutt move his way up the order, and for Craig Overton to make his Test debut, replacing Jake Ball.

England XI: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 James Vince, 4 Joe Root (c), 5 Dawid Malan, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Craig Overton, 11 James Anderson

Stats and Facts:

  • In his last 34 Test innings, Steve Smith has scored 2824 runs at an average of 100.85. To put this amazing record into further perspective, Don Bradman averaged 87.81 in his last 34 Test innings.
  • Alastair Cook scored more runs in the 2010/11 series alone than all of his next 22 Ashes innings combined. In the 2010/11 series, Cook scored 766 runs at 127.66. Since then, he has scored 532 runs at 24.18
  • Stuart Broad is nine wickets away from becoming the second England bowler to take 400 Test wickets, after his new-ball partner James Anderson.
  • Joe Root’s conversion rate of 28.26% is the worst among the top ten batsmen in the world.
  • Mitchell Starc’s last game Adelaide Oval? 8-wicket haul for New South Wales in a day-night Sheffield Shield match.

Prediction:

The first three days in Brisbane were incredible. The momentum swung both ways, and it was anyone’s game. England then faltered, but I give them a great chance of winning in Adelaide.
Australia played well, but are without their issues too. England’s best chance of winning a Test in this series is in Adelaide where conditions are going to be similar to home conditions. 
England to win in a close Test.
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Preview: 1st Test – New Zealand v West Indies

Charbel Coorey
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When you consider how much cricket is packed into the calendar, the fact that New Zealand have not played a Test since the end of March is an eternity.

Out of all the Test playing nations (Ireland and Afghanistan excluded), New Zealand have gone the longest without playing a Test, so they would be pretty happy to step out onto the field in whites in Wellington against an improved West Indies.

There will be no BJ Watling or Tim Southee, who have been mainstays in the New Zealand team. Tom Blundell will make his debut in the wicketkeeper role, and Matt Henry, who averages 48.50 in 8 Tests, will replace Tim Southee. Can Blundell provide the solidity Watling gives? Can Henry extract the movement Southee can? Plenty will be expected from the likes of skipper Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner to lessen the blows of Watling and Southee missing out.

For West Indies, their recent performances in Test cricket is evidence of improvement in their game. Since pushing England all the way in England, West Indies faced a tricky assignment in Zimbabwe which they passed, and now face another challenge. Do well here and more people will start to take notice of their improvement.

Shai Hope has been absolutely superb in recent times, and is evidence of the hard working nature of this West Indies team. After all, they have a hard working captain in Jason Holder, whose hard work rubs onto his team mates. A big opportunity awaits the West Indies.

The pitch in Wellington is expected to be a traditional New Zealand pitch – movement early in the Test and then flattening out on days two and three. The toss may be crucial – whoever bowls first must take advantage.

Key to a New Zealand win

Bat West Indies out of the Test.
Big runs from the New Zealand top order will set things up for their bowlers. With the improvement in the West Indies batting in recent times, New Zealand can’t expect to blow them away with the ball, which means they’ll need runs on the board.
Trio Tom Latham, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor have big roles to play. Failure from these three will put lots of pressure on Jeet Raval and Henry Nicholls, who are still finding their way in Test cricket, and Tom Blundell who will be on debut.
 
Key to a West Indies win


Don’t get blown away early.West Indies will start outsiders in this Test, and to have a chance, they need to compete early. If by day three the game is still in the balance, the West Indies can push for an upset against a New Zealand side without two big players. West Indies won’t win a Test in a day, but can certainly lose it in that time.

Also, West Indies have showed that their lower order can perform well with the bat which can potentially put New Zealand under pressure later in the game. Can their bowlers step up too?

Who to watch out for 

 
Kane Williamson is always mentioned in the discussion about who the best batsman in the world is. However, thanks to such limited Test cricket in 2017, it is hard for him to prove that as constantly is Joe Root, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli get the opportunity to. He will be looking forward to a big series.How good has Shai Hope been recently? He backed up a great series in England with another great effort in Zimbabwe and will be looking to continue in the same vein. He holds so importance with the bat for the West Indies.

 
 
Stats and facts:

  • New Zealand since 2012/13 have won two of five Test series against top four ranked opposition. Against opposition ranked lower than fourth, their record is 100% (West Indies, Sri Lanka twice and Bangladesh).
  • Shai Hope in West Indies’ last two tours (England and Zimbabwe): 549 runs at average of 78.43
  • Since New Zealand last played a Test, West Indies have played eight.
  • West Indies have not won a Test in New Zealand for 22 years.
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Prediction:
 
 
This should be an interesting Test as New Zealand look a little unsettled, while West Indies will be aiming to build on solid recent Test performances.
Will New Zealand be rusty? Perhaps early on, but they still have enough talent to get the job done in Wellington. New Zealand to win, but it won’t be easy.
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Ashwin quickest to 300, India win easily, but will they be under-prepared for South Africa?

Charbel Coorey
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Ravichandran Ashwin took the eight wickets he needed to become the quickest ever to 300 Test wickets. Virat Kohli scored his fifth double century, and in the process became the most prolific Indian captain in terms of Test hundreds, going past Sunil Gavaskar. Cheteshwar Pujara went past 1,000 Test runs for the calendar year, with an average of over 71.

Nice numbers. All seems well and good in India at the moment.

But is it?

India will soon embark on one of the toughest tours in world cricket – South Africa, and I fear that India will be in for a bit of a shock when they line up for the first Test in Cape Town on January 5. Is a Test series at home to Sri Lanka ideal preparation for what will be Virat Kohli’s biggest test so far as India captain? Will anyone care about this series if India lose in South Africa?

Surely not. Most of us just want this series to be over as it almost seems like a waste of time. It is so one-sided, and even more so considering India thrashed Sri Lanka 9-0 just a few months ago. India just keep throwing punches, and unfortunately Sri Lanka are just not good enough to throw them back.

Looking ahead to India’s tour of South Africa, I have a burning question. Is one tour game in Paarl, where conditions are typically slower than the South African usual, enough? Cape Town, Centurion and Johannesburg, the venues for the three Tests, promise to be fast and pacy, and the Indians could be in for a bit of a shock because of the amount of cricket they have played at home/Asia in 2017.

South Africa would have seen the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka last week with interest. There will be movement in South Africa, and at an even faster pace than the Kolkata pitch. And with all due respect to Suranga Lakmal, India will be up against a pace attack that, by popular opinion, is either best in the world or second best behind Australia.

Shikhar Dhawan played as if it was a flat pitch and got bowled comprehensively. KL Rahul was out first ball. Virat Kohli, who has scored a hundred and a double hundred since, scored a duck. Ravichandran Ashwin went wicketless for the match, and has struggled outside of Asia with the ball. India were bowled out for just 172 in the first innings.

So how will India go about rectifying and improving how they play the moving, swinging ball? They can’t improve by thrashing Sri Lanka at home. Tour matches on quick South African pitches would have been much better served.

What might help India is that Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel are all just coming back from injury lay-offs, so they might be a tad rusty. However, South Africa have a chance to get rid of the rust against Zimbabwe on Boxing Day, and pick up form ahead of the big series v India.

It’s all well and good for India to smash records and Sri Lanka, but is it the right preparation for such a massive tour?

I think India could be for a bit of a shock in South Africa, not because of a lack of talent, but due to lack of quality opposition and preparation in the build up.

Agree or disagree? Do leave a comment!

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Will this Ashes be the best since 2005?

Charbel Coorey
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Three days of old-school Test cricket in the age of T20. Three days of hard fought Test cricket, with either side not willing to give in. Three days of Test cricket that has kept us wanting more.

The third day of the first Test in Brisbane ended with Australia on top slightly, but we are set up for not only a great Test match, but a great Ashes series. Perhaps the best since 2005?

England and Australia have question marks about their batting in this series, but both teams have dug in and refused to let their opposition blow them away. This is coupled with both teams’ bowlers executing good plans set up by their captains, and keeping the scoring in check for the entire Test. It has made for a great battle, and is already doing wonders for Test cricket. Even in the T20 age, a great T20 game is nowhere near as exciting and riveting as a good Test match, and this series could be the best Ashes series in a while.

The last four Ashes series (2010/11, 2013, 2013/14 and 2015) have underwhelmed significantly, with plenty of one-sided results. In these four series, the closest series result was England’s 3-2 win in 2015, but not a single Test was close in the series, and England wrapped the series with a match to spare after rolling Australia for 60.

This series has all the makings of a great Ashes series. Why? Because despite how far from perfect the two teams are, they are really evenly matched and both want it really badly. With the potential to be even better than 2009, and close to 2005, this series has already displayed the drama, and ebbs-and-flows that keep everyone on the edge of their seats, which is the making of a great Test series. I have been glued to the TV screen, as many around the world have been, too.

We expected the series to be good, but maybe not this good already.

Thought England would roll over on the first morning after Cook was dismissed early? England fought back. Thought Australia would concede a big lead when they were 4 or 7 down? Steve Smith’s hundred and celebration is now etched in Ashes memory. Think Australia will roll England over on Day four? Think again. Australia look on top, but Joe Root is one of the world’s best batsmen and whether he can repeat Smith’s amazing innings will be interesting to see. Anything over 200 on a pitch displaying a little bit of variable bounce, and quite a bit of turn, you just can’t predict which way this match will go – and this has been painfully rare in Ashes series since 2005.

Who said Test cricket needs high-scoring rates to be exciting? The fourth day promises to be amazing.

I can’t wait.

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Preview: 2nd Test – India v Sri Lanka

Charbel Coorey
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Preview – 1st Ashes Test: Australia v England

Charbel Coorey
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0

The talk between the teams is over. It’s time for action.

Australia and England will lock horns once again, fighting it out for that coveted little urn. Steven Smith and Joe Root are two of the world’s best batsmen, and face arguably the biggest tests of their respective careers so far – leading out their teams in their first Ashes series as captains.

The build up to the Ashes has seemed like an eternity, with both teams having an eye towards this series for quite a while now. However, Australia and England enter the series still unsure of their best combinations, especially with the bat, and have made interesting selections. It all adds to the drama.

For Australia, there is uncertainty in their quest to protect their 29-year unbeaten run in Brisbane. The selections of Shaun Marsh and (especially) Tim Paine were big shocks. Since the announcement, there has been greater noise around England’s chances in the series. What ever happened to Australia’s youth policy? And to think that Ed Cowan, leading run scorer last season in Australian First-Class cricket, was left out for the younger Daniel Hughes for NSW. Yet, 34 year old Shaun Marsh, if passed fit, will return for the eighth time. Are Australia a little confused?

Australia face a few more issues with David Warner and Shaun Marsh facing injury concerns. Warner should play, and if Marsh doesn’t, the man who should have been playing – Glenn Maxwell, will slot back in.

Despite these issues, Australia start favourites with their strong home record, and the fact that England are also certainly without their own issues. Like a man who claims that he’s “found the one” every time he meets a woman, England have believed to have found the “one” who will partner Alastair Cook at the top of the order every time someone new has come onto the Test scene. Since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook has had 12 opening partners. Mark Stoneman was in good form in the tour matches, can he transfer it to the Tests? This question is in addition to another concern England face, which is the number three position, occupied by James Vince, who is yet to register a fifty in seven Tests.

Then you have Ben Stokes, who so well punched above his weight when England got smashed 5-0 last time in Australia. This time, he couldn’t wait till the Ashes to throw punches, and England will be desperately hoping he’ll be back this series. Plenty of pressure on the middle order and bowlers to perform.

Key to an Australia win

Will the four-bowler strategy work?
The key to an Australia win will be the performance of their three fast bowlers. Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Patrick Cummins are all in solid form, and will sure be ready to go on a bouncy Brisbane pitch against an unsure England top order. 
Hazlewood is consistent as ever, Starc is coming off two hat-tricks in the same game, and Pat Cummins looked very sharp in slow subcontinent conditions earlier in 2017. Can they repeat what Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle did in the last Ashes on Australian soil?
Slicing through England’s top order will not only help set them up for victory in the first Test, but also get in the minds of England’s key players ahead of a long series and make the life of debutant Cameron Bancroft a little easier.

Key to an England win

Strong performance from the top four.

Alastair Cook must step up this time. He’s only had the one huge Ashes series for England – his famous 766 runs in 2010/11. Incidentally, that’s the only series England has won in Australia since 1986-87, so Cook clearly has a big role to play.

A lot of uncertainty lies in the fact that the remaining two players in the top three, Stoneman and Vince, have played just 10 Tests between them, and have less-than-impressive Test records to date. If these two get off to a poor start, the pressure will mount even more on captain Joe Root.

The likes of Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali have been excellent performers in Test cricket recently, can help take advantage of any good platform left by the top order.


Predicted teams:


Australia have a few injury concerns, but they should be 1-11 as planned. Cameron Bancroft deservedly makes his debut, after really strong performances in domestic cricket recently.

Australia: 1 Cameron Bancroft, 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (c), 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Shaun Marsh, 7 Tim Paine (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Patrick Cummins, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Jake Ball has got the nod for England’s final pace bowling spot, and it will be fascinating to see what England’s bowlers can do with the Kookaburra. Could the extra seamer in England’s line up be an advantage?

England: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 James Vince, 4 Joe Root (c), 5 Dawid Malan, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Jake Ball, 11 James Anderson

Stats & facts:

  • Australia haven’t lost a Test at the ‘Gabba’ in Brisbane for 29 years, and England haven’t won there since 1986.
  • England have won four of the last five Ashes series.
  • Australia and England have both won the Ashes 32 times. There have been 5 drawn series.
  • Alastair Cook scored 766 runs at 127.66 in the 2010/11 series. Outside of that series, he has scored 1,351 runs vs Australia at an average of just 27.57.
  • Steven Smith averages 68.65 in home Tests for Australia. As captain, he averages 69.02 in all Test matches.
  • James Anderson averages 38.44 in Australia, compared to his home average of 24.29.
Prediction:


It’s all set up for a very interesting Test match. Plenty has been said, and plenty has also been speculated about.

A 1-0 series lead for either team heading into the Adelaide Test will be very important. I predict Australia will maintain their Gabba record, and win the first Test off the back of a strong performance from their fast bowlers.

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