PERTH, Australia (AP) 鈥� The build-up to starting Friday began at the end of July 2023 following one of the more test cricket series between England and Australia.
and his England lineup won that test at The Oval in South London but it wasn’t enough to reclaim the Ashes from the Aussies, who won the first two tests and drew the fourth in a five-match series to retain the old urn.
Cue to Perth Stadium, Day 1 of a possible 25 spanning seven weeks and five cities.
There are some big questions in play.
Can an aging, understrength Australia continue an unbeaten run in home Ashes tests that dates to the 2010-11 series?
Can Stokes inspire an end to that long drought for England?
Can , the world’s No. 1-ranked test batter, finally post an Ashes century in Australia?
The English
Stokes knows the record: 13 losses, two draws and no wins in England’s last 15 tests Down Under. He鈥檚 thinking more about the 2010-11 squad that beat the Australians 3-1.
鈥淚鈥檝e come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few captains from England who have come here and been successful,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot has been spoken of about the history and how it has gone for England 鈥� this is our chance to create our own.鈥�
In a bid to break the drought, England is likely to start a pair of express pace bowlers in conditions expected to suit them. is primed to do well in Australia and recovered from a minor hamstring strain to be including in the 12-man match squad for the first test.
鈥淗e鈥檚 flying,鈥� Stokes said of Wood, who took 17 wickets in the last Ashes series in Australia. 鈥淗e鈥檚 had all his injury troubles and all that kind of stuff … but he鈥檚 been bowling for a long, long time.
鈥淗e has always been someone who can just hit the ground running in a game. And he鈥檚 bowling rapid, which is good.鈥�
The Aussies
and fellow paceman will be missing the first test because of injuries, leaving Australia’s attack without half of its frontline bowlers.
The remaining half 鈥� left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc and offspinner Nathan Lyon 鈥� are confident that the team can win on what is expected to be a fast, bouncy pitch in Perth. Brendan Doggett is set to make his test debut alongside fellow fast bowler Scott Boland, making it the first time the men’s test XI will contain two players with Australian Indigenous heritage.
鈥淕ood to see the depth in the squad,鈥� Starc said. 鈥淲e know what Scotty Boland can do, … (and) 鈥楧oggie鈥檚鈥� coming off a hot streak at the moment.鈥�
Cameron Green’s fitness to bowl means he’ll fill the allrounder spot and Australia can give opening batter Jake 蜜桃视频appald a test debut at the age of 31. The flow-on means Marnus Labuschagne will return at No. 3, with stand-in skipper Steve Smith at No. 4 and allrounder Beau Webster has been cut from the lineup.
鈥淏eau came into international cricket and lit it up immediately, so I think it鈥檚 a really tough one on him,” Smith said. “He鈥檚 the one that misses out unfortunately.
鈥淏ut I think with Marnus, when he鈥檚 batting at his best at No. 3, it makes us a very, very good cricket side.”
Smith’s role
The 36-year-old Smith for the third time this year and the seventh time since his era as full-time captain ended with the Sandpapergate scandal in 2018.
He filled in as skipper the last time England toured Australia in 2021-22, after Cummins was forced to isolate for the Adelaide test during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a lot more relaxed as a person all round,” Starc said of his longtime teammate. “Even the times that he鈥檚 captained since, when he鈥檚 had to fill in for Pat, it鈥檚 a different approach.
鈥淗e鈥檚 still that competitive beast, and still wants to be the best, and still will leave no stone unturned. But I think he鈥檚 finding a few outlets to actually switch off from time to time … and just not be cricket 100% of the time.鈥�
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Squads
Australia: Jack 蜜桃视频appald, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland.
England (from): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.
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AP cricket:
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