Edgbaston threw up an absolute gem of an opener to the sequence, and now Australia and England take their skills to the Home of Cricket.
Armed with the 1-0 lead, Australia have an opportunity to take a stranglehold on the sequence – and put themselves in place for a primary sequence win on English soil since 2001.
Then once more, Bazball will get an opportunity to return fireplace, and the house facet have thrown up a pace-heavy assault on a extra seam-friendly pitch, whereas Australia are set to recall paceman Mitchell Starc instead of Scot Boland.
Follow all of the stay motion all through the night time in our weblog under.
7.15PM: STARC FOR BOLAND… THE RIGHT CALL?
We’re quarter-hour from the toss – and having the Xis confirmed – however as Ben Horne and Daniel Cherny have reported it appears Australia can be making simply the one change from their first Test matchwinners.
Mitchell Starc, unfortunate to overlook out at Edgbaston, appears to be like set to be recalled instead of the equally unfortunate Scott Boland for the second Test.
It’s an attention-grabbing swap.
On face worth, Starc’s qualities might need served Australia higher on the flat Edgbaston wicket moderately than a Lord’s Test the place the ball is anticipated to do extra within the air and off the deck.
There’s no denying Starc’s wicket-taking qualities – he can break a recreation open at any level – and Boland was under his finest in Birmingham.
But I might’ve cherished to see Boland working his magic with the well-known Lord’s slope, and the overcast situations which appear like they’ll linger for first few (and, maybe, 4) days of the Test.
With Starc, Australia will get a degree of distinction of their assault, and Nathan Lyon could possibly be the largest beneficiary: with Starc’s footmarks giving him a giant goal to intention at.
7.00PM: FANS OUT IN FORCE FOR DAY ONE ACTION
It’s the most popular ticket on the town (maybe outdoors of Taylor Swift)!
And on the dwelling of cricket, the place custom is every little thing, which means lining up within the dreary early morning at London – normally with an egg and bacon tie, moderately than an egg and bacon roll.
6.45PM: TRICKY QUESTION FACING ASHES SKIPPERS
To bowl… or to not bowl?
That is the query going through Australia’s Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes, a bit of over half an hour from the toss.
What will Lord’s provide? After a flat, dry deck in Birmingham, gamers have been handled to much more grass on the wicket at Lord’s.
Then once more, the widespread chorus in the case of taking part in in England is if you wish to know whether or not the ball goes to swing or not – don’t look down (on the wicket), lookup (on the cloud cowl).
So what is going to Cummins and Stokes be mulling over on the toss? Bat or bowl?
Well, the climate updates popping out of London may tempt them into giving their quick bowlers first crack on a wicket that appears prefer it may provide a contact extra for the quicks than final week.
6.00PM: AUSSIES MAKE BIG SELECTION CALL
Mitchell Starc has changed Scott Boland in Australia’s XI for the second Test at Lord’s.
The Aussies are in any other case unchanged as they search to go 2-0 up within the sequence. – Daniel Cherny and Ben Horne
PIDGE: ASHES OVER IF AUSTRALIA WINS LORD’S TEST
Glenn McGrath famously declared Australia would sweep England earlier than the 2005 Ashes sequence – a prediction which might finish in catastrophe.
The Australia spearhead ripped by way of host at Lord’s earlier than his pre-series prediction was introduced crashing down within the warm-up at Edgbaston, with the massive fast dominated out of the sequence with an ankle harm.
Australia would go on to lose the second Test and sequence, with McGrath’s notorious ‘5-nil’ gibe preserving him firm on the boundary for six weeks.
In a column for the BBC, McGrath believes the 2023 version can be simply as essential, seeing no approach again for England ought to Australia win at Lord’s.
“The last time a team came from behind to win the Ashes was in 2005, a series I was right in the thick of,” writes McGrath.
“We were 1-0 up heading into the second Test at Edgbaston, a match I sat out after the infamous incident of treading on the ball in the warm-up.
“We lost a thrilling Test by two runs, but I will always maintain that the series would have been won had we got over the line that day.
“The same is true now. If Australia win at Lord’s, the Ashes are done and dusted.
“England arrive at Lord’s with more pressure on their shoulders. If they lose, I can’t see a way that they get back into the series.”
PITCH, SELECTION UPDATE
– Jacob Kuriype
Australia is but to make a name over the make-up of its assault for the second Ashes Test, with selectors mulling a alternative between left-arm tyro Mitchell Starc and right-arm workhorse Scott Boland.
Leading the sequence 1-0, Australia faces England at Lord’s – beginning Wednesday, 8pm AEST – nonetheless using excessive from a well-known two-wicket victory and with a giant resolution to make between Starc and Boland. England in the meantime has banked on Joe Root to hold its spin bowling load.
Partly cloudy situations with a high of 24 levels are anticipated on Wednesday however rain is forecast for days two and 4 of the Test.
By his personal admission Starc underwhelmed within the World Test Championship closing however the left-armer is assured he has discovered his rhythm once more after two laborious weeks of coaching.
Boland in the meantime copped loads of stick from the England batters within the opening Test, conceding greater than 5 runs per over in every innings whereas doing minimal harm.
Boding in Boland’s favour are visibly completely different situations for the second Test, with the Lord’s pitch sporting loads of inexperienced grass. It guarantees extra help to the seamers than Edgbaston’s flat floor offered, making airspeed much less essential.
“I hear a whisper Mitchell Starc might come in because of the way England play Scott Boland. If there’s lateral movement and it looks like it’s going to do anything, I think they have to play Boland once again and go with the same team,” Michael Vaughan stated on Fox Cricket’s Ashes preview.
“They should have used Starc at Edgbaston because it was flat.”
England confirmed its XI on match eve, with bustling seamer Josh Tongue changing spinner Moeen Ali. Ali struggled with a blister on his spinning finger within the first Test, however England’s resolution to name up Tongue as a substitute of younger leggie Rehan Ahmed suggests they’re anticipating seaming situations.
The choice means Root will carry the majority of the spin-bowling load for England.
“He’s gone from strength to strength and the more responsibility that I’ve tried to give him with the ball, I think has brought out another side of Joe,” England captain Ben Stokes stated of Root’s spin bowling.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, James Anderson
Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Had, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Originally printed as Ashes cricket 2023 stay rating: Second Test begin time, scoreboard, crew modifications
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
