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Confident Root questions pink-ball Ashes Test

England ace batter Joe Root on Sunday shared his thoughts on the necessity of pink-ball Tests in an Ashes series.

Root, who will be eyeing his first Test century in Australia in the second Ashes Test at Brisbane, admitted Australia’s strong record in pink-ball matches.

“It does add to things. It’s successful and popular here, and Australia have got a good record here as well. You can see why we’re playing one of those games,” he said.

Notably, Australia have won 13 of 14 matches under lights.

“Ultimately, you know from two years out it is going to be there. It’s part and parcel of making sure you’re ready for it,” he continued.

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“A series like this, does it need it? I don’t think so, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be here either.”

He also expressed confidence in getting a big score, stating that he is good enough to make runs in Australia.

“I know if I get time out there and I make good decisions for long periods of time, I’m going to be successful,” Root said.

“I know that I’m a good player, it’s just about putting that into the games out here,” the right-hander concluded.

In contrast to Root, Australia batter Travis Head downplayed the idea of not having a Pink-Ball Test and said it’s an incredible sight with big crowds coming in, and the team that emerges victorious does not have any problem.

“Pink ball, white ball, red ball – who really cares? Does it need it, does it not? It’s a great spectacle, and we’re going to have huge crowds again,” Head said.

“If you win, you think it’s great. If you lose, maybe not. Both teams may have differing opinions by the end of it. I think it’s great for the game,” the left-hander continued.

Travis Head stated about the different formats of international cricket, noting that the five-day game works the same way, just with a differently coloured ball and a unique atmosphere.

“We talk about T20, T10, and you see all these different formats. It still works the same way. It’s still five days, it’s just with a slightly different coloured ball and it brings a different atmosphere.”

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Australia announce squad for pink-ball Ashes Test

BRISBANE: Skipper Pat Cummins was left out of an unchanged Australia squad named on Friday for the day-night second Ashes Test against England, set to commence on 4 December.

The Australian skipper continues his battle against injury; meanwhile, under-pressure opener Usman Khawaja managed to keep his place in the line-up for the pink-ball Test.

Star paceman Josh Hazlewood was also absent, as expected, as he continues his recovery from a hamstring problem.

Cummins has not played since picking up a lower back injury against the West Indies four months ago.

He missed the rapid-fire opening Test in Perth that Australia won by eight wickets inside two days, but has been at full pace in the nets in recent weeks and said last weekend he was “half a chance” to play in Brisbane.

But selectors are clearly taking no chances with the 32-year-old, who will now be targeting the third Test in Adelaide on December 17.

It means Steve Smith will remain captain while Brendan Doggett is set to once more lead the attack with Perth 10-wicket hero Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, on what is expected to be another fast track.

The Gabba Test gets underway on December 4 with Australia looking to ram home their advantage and take a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series.

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Despite missing out, Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations, Cricket Australia said.

Khawaja made the squad amid mounting calls for the veteran to be dumped.

The 38-year-old, who has not made a Test hundred on home soil since January 2023, failed to open in either innings in Perth because of back spasms.

He was replaced at the top alongside Jake Weatherald initially by Marnus Labuschagne, and then by Travis Head in the second innings.

Head, who usually comes in at five but opens in white-ball cricket, seized the opportunity with all guns blazing, slamming an incredible 123 from just 83 balls to drive Australia to victory.

Whether Khawaja keeps his spot in the XI remains to be seen, with Australia not expected to finalise their starting side until the eve of the clash.

Should selectors stick with Head and axe Khawaja, it could open the door to in-form allrounder Beau Webster and a handy extra bowling option.

Australia squad for second Ashes Test

Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

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Stokes urges ‘shell-shocked’ England to move on from crushing loss

Captain Ben Stokes admitted Saturday he was “shell-shocked” at a crushing loss to Australia in the first Ashes Test but told his England team they must move on fast for the next clash in Brisbane.

The tourists had a golden opportunity to win a Test in Australia for the first time in 15 years, but they blew it inside two days at Perth Stadium.

After crumbling under a bowling onslaught from Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, their hyped pace attack had no answer to a rampant Travis Head, who thrashed an incredible 123 to seal victory by eight wickets.

“Little bit shell-shocked, it was pretty phenomenal from Head,” Stokes said. “It’s pretty raw, pretty emotional, but that was some knock.

“We tried three or four different plans to get him, but when he’s going like a train he’s very hard to stop.”

Despite the demoralising loss Stokes saw some positives, particularly their first-innings bowling effort which saw Australia dismissed for 132.

“The way in which we bowled yesterday was phenomenal. A lot happened on day one, a good day for the bowlers,” he said.

“It’s a tough one as we felt we were in control. We’ll let this sink in, but we’ve got four more games.

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“It’s a long time before Brisbane, we’ll go away and put in the graft.”

The day-night Brisbane Test starts on December 4.

With so many players in the squad experiencing their first Ashes, Stokes admitted he had his hands full trying to lift them.

“Yeah, I think we’ve got to let that whole two hours sort of sink in first and reflect on it properly, without the emotion that’s attached to what’s just gone on there,” he said, referring to Head’s knock.

“Obviously there’s disappointment when you come off the field being on the losing side.

“So that’s up to myself. It’s up to some of the other senior guys who have a lot of experience in big series like these, because you’ve got to let emotions like this sink in, and it has got to hurt.

“But also, you’ve then got to get rid of them as quickly as you possibly can, while also learning from it.

“Because when we get to Brisban,e we need to be back up to that mindset of how we came into this game, still very confident of our abilities and achieving the goal.

“It’s crucial about not taking any baggage from this result into Brisbane.”

READ: Travis Head smashes second-fastest century in Ashes history

Head’s 69-ball ton powers Australia to victory in Ashes opener

PERTH: Makeshift opener Travis Head smacked an explosive 69-ball century to power Australia to victory in a high-octane first Ashes Test on Saturday as England meekly surrendered in the Perth Stadium cauldron.

Chasing 205 to win, Head slammed 123 as the hosts romped home on day two by eight wickets in an electric start to the five-match series. Marnus Labuschagne was not out 51, and Steve Smith was on two.

Head’s heroics came on the back of a blistering spell from marauding pace pair Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc after lunch that sparked a stunning England collapse.

The tourists were cruising at 65-1 and building an ominous second-innings lead, but Boland and Starc left them reeling with four wickets in as many overs.

A ruthless Boland accounted for Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33) and Harry Brook (0) in the space of 11 balls, then two deliveries later, Starc sent Joe Root packing for eight.

When Starc removed skipper Ben Stokes (2), England were flailing at 88-6 and the veteran paceman had bagged a 10-wicket haul for only the third time after his first innings 7-58, a career-best.

England were partially rescued by a crucial 50-run stand between Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20) before being rolled for 164 at tea.

When they returned, Usman Khawaja again failed to show as an opener as he battled back stiffness, with Australia signalling their intent by sending in Head.

Head, who has opened nine times previously in Test cricket, quickly got into his destructive rhythm, crunching some lovely boundaries, including big sixes off Carse and Mark Wood.

He made it look easy, making a mockery of the struggles other batsmen had on the bouncy track, bringing up his half-century in 36 balls, passing 4,000 Test runs in the process.

Looking to emulate him, debutant Jake Weatherald also went on the attack, but it cost him, out for 23 after a mistimed pull shot was taken by Ben Duckett off Carse.

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An unruffled Head kept the pressure on, slamming four boundaries in one Stokes over and sending a six back over the head of Jofra Archer on his way to a 10th Test ton.

He eventually fell to Carse, going for another big hit.

Australia resumed on a paltry 123-9 in their first innings and added just nine before Nathan Lyon was removed by Carse for four to leave England with a 40-run advantage.

Stokes was the star of the show, claiming 5-23 off just 36 balls to give England a golden opportunity to win a Test in Australia for the first time since the 2010-11 series.

They had all been out for 172 at the hands of Starc on day one.

Australia were banking on the 35-year-old to emulate his exploits in the second innings, and he whipped the sold-out Perth Stadium crowd into a frenzy when he removed Zak Crawley in his first over.

The veteran consigned Crawley to a pair, diving to his left in an incredible feat of athleticism for a memorable caught-and-bowled.

Duckett and Pope settled in, safely reaching lunch at 59-1. But Scott Boland began to find his radar when they returned.

Duckett edged to Steve Smith in the slips, then Pope did the same to wicketkeeper Alex Carey before Brook repeated the feat to Khawaja.

After a first innings duck, Joe Root was desperate for runs, but he was no match for the relentless Starc, dragging a thick edge onto his stumps to cap a miserable start to the series.

Brendan Doggett then cleaned up Jamie Smith (15), Carse and Archer (5).

READ: Travis Head smashes second-fastest century in Ashes history

England receive major boost ahead of first Ashes Test

Pace spearhead Mark Wood was on Saturday cleared of any hamstring injury after a precautionary scan, a huge relief for England, just days away from the first Ashes Test against Australia.

The 35-year-old complained of left hamstring stiffness on Friday during the tourists’ only warm-up game before the opening Test in Perth on November 21.

It was his first match in almost nine months following knee surgery, with the veteran getting through eight overs before leaving the field.

“Following precautionary scans on Friday, England fast bowler Mark Wood has been cleared of any concerns regarding his left hamstring,” the England Cricket Board said.

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“Wood will continue to train as planned in the build-up to the first Test in Perth.”

He is not expected to feature on the third and final day of England’s game against the second-tier England Lions XI in Perth on Saturday.

Barring further setbacks, Wood is expected to lead the attack in the first Test, potentially alongside Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue.

England, who last lifted the Ashes urn at home in 2015, have lost 13 of their last 15 Tests in Australia. The other two were drawn.

READ: Australia pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood ruled out of first Ashes Test

Australia pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood ruled out of first Ashes Test

Australia was dealt a huge blow Saturday with pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the first Ashes Test against England with a hamstring strain, joining Pat Cummins on the sidelines.

Hazlewood tweaked his hamstring during New South Wales’s Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria during the week.

He was initially given the all-clear after a scan, but repeat imaging confirmed the strain.

“Initial scans on Wednesday were clear of muscle strain; however, follow-up imaging today has confirmed the injury,” Cricket Australia said.

“As a result, Hazlewood will not travel to Perth and has been ruled out of the first Ashes Test match.”

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It is a massive setback for the hosts just days out from the opening Test in Perth on November 21, with fellow quick Cummins also missing the match.

Australian captain Cummins has not played since picking up a lower back injury against the West Indies more than three months ago.

He is targeting a return for the second Test in Brisbane in December.

Reserve fast bowler Sean Abbott is also an injury casualty, with Michael Neser, who has played two Tests, called up on Saturday as cover.

With Hazlewood and Cummins both absent, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland will lead the attack against England, with Brendan Doggett looking likely to make his debut.

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Australia face double injury scare ahead of first Ashes Test

Australia suffered a double injury scare on Wednesday ahead of the first Ashes Test against England, with pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott both undergoing assessments, reportedly for hamstring issues.

Test spearhead Hazlewood and reserve quick Abbott both left the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during New South Wales’s Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria.

Media reports said they were being assessed for hamstring niggles, although neither Cricket Australia nor Cricket NSW confirmed the specifics of the injury concerns.

Australia are already without injured captain Pat Cummins for at least the opening Test in Perth next week, and losing Hazlewood would be a serious blow.

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Scott Boland is set to replace Cummins in the attack, which also contains left-armer Mitchell Starc.

Abbott, who took 4-18 against Victoria before leaving the field, was named in Australia’s 15-man squad for Perth as a replacement quick, with uncapped Brendon Doggett the other pace option.

Following Perth, the five-Test series moves to Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

England drew 2-2 on home turf in the most recent Ashes series in 2023, but have not won in Australia since 2010-2011.

Australia squad for first Ashes Test

Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

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Starc urges lively Ashes pitches to counter England’s Bazball

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has urged the curators to prepare spicy tracks for the upcoming five-match Ashes series against England.

The first Ashes Test will commence on 21 November at the Perth Stadium.

At the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Starc expressed his hope that the curators would prepare the wickets according to their preferences, instead of opting for a five-day match.

“I hope the groundsmen stick to their guns and prepare the wickets they want. If we are worried about five days of revenue then there’s bigger problems at hand,” he said.

The left-arm pacer also admitted that he has a problem with his bowling and is still searching for his rhythm.

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“It has been a while (since I played first-class cricket), probably too long if I had my time again,” Starc said. “But that’s fine, it was alright, working on a few things, getting that rhythm back.”

He said that he was not bowling at his best during ODIs against India, however, he is now very close to gaining full momentum.

“That was probably my longest layoff injury-free for a long time. I was just trying to find that rhythm through the ODIs (against India). It just felt like something wasn’t quite clicking there, and it felt pretty close today, so I’m reasonably happy,” Starch said.

“I think the break was a good thing, but I just tend to be someone who continuous bowling keeps in rhythm. I’ve just been speaking to (head coach) Ronnie (Andrew McDonald) then, I think I’ve sorted it out and now it’s just getting the engine going again,” he concluded.

The 35-year-old took a four-wicket haul in the ongoing Sheffield Shield match against Victoria. He returned with the figures of 4/91 in 18 overs.

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Australia’s Pat Cummins drops major hint on his Ashes comeback

Injured Australia captain Pat Cummins hinted on Thursday at a comeback for the second Ashes Test, a day after the side unveiled its squad ahead of this month’s opener.

The 32-year-old pace spearhead has not played since picking up a lower back injury against the West Indies more than three months ago.

“It’s all feeling really good. On track and yeah, probably better than I expected,” Cummins told journalists.

“Each session is incremental. Once I get over to Perth, I should be pretty close to a full run-up and getting some overs in.”

“It’s probably not until you get a bit closer that you can really know where you’re at,” Cummins said.

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“It’s trying to keep that second Test as a real live option,” he said of the day-night contest in Brisbane on December 4.

Late last month, Cummins’ tentative return was rumoured after he was spotted in a brief net session in Sydney, captured by local television cameras, bowling off a five-step run-up.

Cummins will travel with the Australian side for the first Test against Ben Stokes’ England in Perth from November 21.

Steve Smith will step up as Australian captain, with the ever-reliable Scott Boland to replace Cummins in the seam attack alongside quick bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

England drew 2-2 on home turf in the most recent Ashes series in 2023 but have not won in Australia since 2010-2011.

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Australia announce squad for first Ashes Test squad

MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) announced a 15-member squad for the first Test of the Ashes against England, which is scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.

Chief selector George Bailey hailed “impressive” uncapped opener Jake Weatherald as having all the right attributes after he was named in the squad.

In-form batter Marnus Labuschagne was recalled, but young opener Sam Konstas was dropped from the squad that will be captained by Steve Smith in the injury-enforced absence of Pat Cummins.

Should the 31-year-old pad up against Ben Stokes’s England, he will be the sixth opening partner for Usman Khawaja since David Warner retired early last year.

Previous experiments with Steve Smith, Nathan McSweeney, Travis Head, Labuschagne and Konstas did not pan out. But Bailey would not say if Weatherald would definitely make his debut in Perth on November 21.

“No, not confirmed in the XI,” Bailey said. “Obviously, we’ve got 14 of our 15-man squad playing round four (of the Sheffield Shield).”

“Still some information to gather out of that. Cameron Green, being one, returning to the bowling crease, that’d be good.”

All-rounder Green has been playing as a batsman only since his return mid-year following back surgery 13 months ago. He has bowled just a handful of overs this season.

Should be able to demonstrate he can handle a sufficient workload to support the pace attack, Green will likely drop to bat at six with Weatherald opening.

In that scenario, Labuschagne, who is back after being dropped for the last Test series against the West Indies, would come in at his preferred number three, having blasted five centuries in eight innings this season.

If Green is still struggling, then Labuschagne would potentially open alongside Khawaja with Green at three and Beau Webster retaining his spot at six.

Tasmanian left-hander Weatherald has been a top-performing opener in domestic ranks over the past few years.

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He put himself on the Ashes radar by clobbering 183 for Australia A during a red-ball series against Sri Lanka A in Darwin this year, with his form continuing in the Sheffield Shield.

“I think if you look at his performance over 18 to 24 months, it’s been really solid, and then there’s a method there that I think we like and is complementary to those other players around him in the squad,” Bailey said.

“He scores at a good rate. The way he goes about building his innings, it’s been impressive.”

His inclusion meant disappointment for Matt Renshaw, who had been tipped to get the nod as Konstas has struggled for form.

Smith takes charge because Cummins, who will travel with the squad to Perth, has not played since picking up a lower back injury against the West Indies more than three months ago.

The day-night second Test in Brisbane from December 4 is a tentative target for Cummins to return.

The ever-reliable Scott Boland will replace Cummins in the seam attack alongside quick bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Nathan Lyon provides the spin option in his 140th Test, where he can surpass Glenn McGrath to become the sixth-highest wicket-taker in history by claiming two more victims.

Uncapped Brendan Doggett and Sean Abbott were included as the back-up fast bowlers, and Josh Inglis will provide cover for wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Following Perth, the five-Test series moves to Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

England drew 2-2 on home turf in the most recent Ashes series in 2023, but have not won in Australia since 2010-2011.

Australia squad for first Ashes Test

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