Australia insist they will combine attacking bowling with attempting to comprise England within the Ashes, offered they get pitches with extra life than Edgbaston.
Australia’s day-one fielding positions had been closely known as into query by commentators Ricky Ponting and Kevin Pietersen in Birmingham on Friday, as England declared shortly earlier than stumps at 8-393.
The vacationers put three males on the fence from as early because the third over in a bid to decelerate an England facet that has constructed their sport on free-flowing cricket up to now yr.
Australia additionally resorted to stump-to-stump traces, performed with a restricted slips cordon and opted towards bowling many bouncers in a bid to quell England’s scoring.
The staff has made no secret of the very fact defensive fields with males on the rope will keep, as they attempt to restrict England from scoring at above 5 an over.
But seamer Josh Hazlewood stated most different aspects had been on account of a sluggish Edgbaston wicket, fairly than Australia going into ultra-defensive mode.
“The outside edge didn’t feel much in play much at all after that new ball,” Hazlewood stated.
“You’re comparing (the wicket) to the sub-continent a little bit or maybe a Sydney wicket or something like that, where the plans do change throughout the day.
“You go straighter and also you’re in search of the lbw and bowled and issues like that.
“If we come out there and it’s nipping round corners and swinging and whatnot, then you keep your three slips and gully in all day.
“You most likely nonetheless have these fielders out. Stop the boundaries and the wickets nonetheless look the identical.”
Hazlewood also suggested England’s fearless batting approach had potentially played into Australia’s hands on the flatter wicket.
England have won 11 of 13 Tests since adopting their aggressive approach under Brendon McCullum last year, and their day-one declaration was also nothing new before Australia went to stumps at 0-14.
But Ben Duckett (12) and Ben Stokes (1) were both caught behind off Hazlewood to balls well wide of off stump, while Jonny Bairstow (78) and Moeen Ali (18) were stumped trying to take on Nathan Lyon.
“Attacking batting most likely brings in a number of extra modes of dismissal,” Hazlewood stated.
“If you simply bat regular or even when it’s important to shut up store in direction of the tip of the sport for a draw probably then it is going to be exhausting work to get wickets.
“A bit of the stroke play, we saw a few stumpings and things like that (opens it up).
“If batters play usually I believe it is going to be fairly exhausting to get the 20 wickets.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
