Melbourne — England head into Friday’s Ashes opener in Perth with a spring in their step and a golden opportunity to strike the first blow in the five-Test series against an Australian team rocked by key injuries.
England have not won a first Ashes Test in Australia in nearly 40 years, nor beaten the hosts in Perth since 1978, but their opponents are vulnerable without front-line quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
Not in selectors’ darkest nightmares would the home side ever face the first “Bazball” offensive without inspirational captain Cummins and the metronomic Hazlewood.
Steve Smith will be stand-in skipper, while Scott Boland and uncapped Brendan Doggett are expected to replace the injured duo, who boast 604 Test wickets between them.
Boland was England’s nemesis during the 2021/22 series, making a seven-wicket debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground that helped Australia retain the urn with two Tests in hand.
But England’s batters hammered the Victorian fast bowler on home pitches in 2023, setting up an intriguing showdown on a Perth Stadium wicket promising pace and bounce.
England have played white-ball matches at the 60,000-seat venue but it will be their first Test after decades of playing ― and suffering ― at the WACA across the Swan River.
Their last eight Tests in Perth have all been defeats, with the most recent setback a bitter innings and 41-run capitulation in 2017 that saw Joe Root’s team surrender the urn.
With only Root remaining from that dismal 4-0 series defeat, Perth will be something of a new frontier for Ben Stokes’ squad, most of whom have never played a Test in Australia.
England seamer Gus Atkinson, one of their many Ashes debutants, said he brought “no scars”.
“I do think it’s a good thing that a few of us are coming in with not too much experience yet,” he said.
Getting off to a positive start, if not a victory, will be vital for England’s chances of winning back the urn. They have not won an Ashes in Australia from 1-0 down since Len Hutton’s team claimed the 1954/55 series.
England could hardly start any worse than the last series in Australia when Rory Burns was bowled for a golden duck by Mitchell Starc off the first ball at the Gabba.
Skittled for 147 on day one, England lost the Test by nine wickets and ended up crashing to another 4-0 series defeat.
Still menacing at 35, left-arm swing merchant Starc will lead the Australian attack again.
“Sadly, injuries and fast bowling happen,” he said of Cummins and Hazlewood. “But [it’s] good to see the depth in the squad. We know what Scottie Boland can do. Doggie’s [Doggett] coming off a hot streak at the moment.”
England have included pace bowler Mark Wood for the first Test when the country’s cricket board announced a 12-player squad on Wednesday.
Wood, who was cleared of a hamstring injury last week, will be part of a potent pace attack featuring Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Atkinson and Ben Stokes.
Spinner Shoaib Bashir has also been added to the squad despite having recorded combined figures of 2/151 from 24 overs in a pre-Ashes warm-up match.
Ollie Pope has secured the No 3 batting spot ahead of Jacob Bethell.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkr), Mark Wood.
Reuters
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