Australia's squad for the first Ashes Test looks too strong for England's Bazballers, writes Ben Gardner.
Australia’s squad for the first Test of the Ashes is in, and rumours of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. We were told that this was their weakest side since 2011, that there were holes all over the XI, giving a settled England their best chance to win down under in a generation. Instead, the group selected bears startling similarities to those which have smeared England into the dirt in Australia and proved tricky to dispatch in England over the past decade. All but one or two of their likely XI for the first Test will have fond memories of featuring in the 2021/22 Ashes. This is a side that knows how to beat England.
First, those minor selection dilemmas, Australia needing to fit three players into two spots, and facing a decision over where to slot their prodigal son back in. What’s settled is that Usman Khawaja will open, with Steve Smith and Travis Head in the engine room at Nos.4 and 5. Alex Carey will take the gloves, while Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, in for Pat Cummins, will form the seam attack. Nathan Lyon, as ever, will provide the off-spin.
Alongside Khawaja will be either Jake Weatherald or Marnus Labuschagne, the former a frustratingly likeable, unfazed 31-year-old, wearing his one shot at a proud international career lightly. He has laughed off the awkward fact that his prospective opening partner publicly backed someone else for the job and has the comfort of having proven himself the Sheffield Shield’s best player.
Weatherald is the only specialist opener in the squad, but Australia have found a fondness for makeshift options in the past, and so could shunt Labuschagne up from his preferred slot at first drop. At the start of the season, Labuschagne was a doubt altogether, having been dropped for the West Indies tour and with those whispers about his early golden run being little more than a drop-fuelled hot streak growing. Since then, he has made a hundred basically every time he has batted. Not only is he now guaranteed a spot, he is no longer a weak link for England to target.
Promoting Labuschagne would allow Australia to include both Cameron Green and Beau Webster, which would prove especially handy if the former isn’t fit enough to bowl. Even if he is, they may be inclined to pick both, Webster averaging 35 with the bat and 23 with the ball in seven Tests so far. Making the most of an in-form Labuschagne may be decisive here. Paradoxically, were he in worse form, a promotion might make more sense, with less value on his wicket. But at No.3, he could shape the series. That would leave Weatherald opening, and Green and Webster in a shoot-out for the all-rounder’s spot.
Really though, that’s a long-winded way of saying, there are no bad options. Based purely on reputation and career achievements, this is up there with the strongest Australian outfits there have been. The hope, therefore, is that it’s precisely because of that experience that Australia could struggle. This is a markedly old squad. Only Green is under the age of 30, and, if you squint, there are signs of decline in one or two. Khawaja made a double century in Sri Lanka, but either side was Matt Henryed and then Bumrahed and then Rabadaed and then Josephed. Outside of that Sri Lanka tour, he has a high score of 57 in his last 11 Tests. All are exceptional fast bowlers and all were in helpful conditions, but, in Jofra Archer, England will have an exceptional fast bowler with a liking for left-handers. Perhaps there is a route in there, and England will hope to make new-ball in-roads at the other end too. Maybe then if they can expose the middle order early, they will be able to instigate a collapse. But a Nos.3-7 of Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green/Webster and Alex Carey looks rock solid.
In the seam attack, Pat Cummins’ absence is certainly significant. But when the deputy is Boland with an average below 17, it softens the blow. Perhaps England will get on top of him, as they did in the 2023 Ashes. Or perhaps he will tear through them, as he did on debut in 2021/22. Something closer to the latter feels more likely.
Beyond Boland, there is less certainty. Brendan Doggett is a worthy Sheffield Shield battler, but he won’t arrive with the dominant record of Boland. Other teams would look to grind down a seam attack aged 34, 35 and 36 over the course of a series and expose those underneath. That’s largely the method which brought India consecutive series wins in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21. But it’s hard to see England’s Bazballers doing something similar. If Australia’s main men can stay fit, while England may land a blow or two across the series, the hosts’ squad looks like one that can extend their Ashes dominance.
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