Ashes 2021-22, Brisbane Test: Australia and England to clash for coveted Urn; battle begins at The Gabba
It will be a battle for the ages as Australia and England clash in the opening Test of the Ashes 2021-22 in Brisbane from Thursday. Here is the match preview of this nail-biting encounter.
FollowThe ultimate Test cricket is about to kick-off, as Australia and England clash in the opening Test of the 2021-22 Ashes at The Gabba in Brisbane from Wednesday. It is probably in a long time that there are no clear favourites in the series, with both teams being formidable and looking to come up with their A-game to emerge victoriously. Ahead of the opening Test, we present the match preview.
Current form
Australia's last Test series was back at home last year during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, which it lost 2-1. Consequently, Australia could be a bit demoralised from it. On the other hand, England is coming off a 0-1 series loss at home to New Zealand, while it is trailing 1-2 in the incomplete home Test series against India. Thus, it would be under tremendous pressure as well.
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Team strength & weaknesses, and players to watch out
Australia possesses a balanced side. While it might be a tide heavy in its bowling and all-rounder department, the lack of enough specialised batters could give the side a hard time. David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon could impact.
As for England, it is somewhat heavy in its batting, while with enough specialised bowlers, it could give a hard time to the Aussie batters. However, lack of enough all-rounders might turn out to be its weakness. Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Jack Leach are to watch out for.
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Injury concerns and head-to-head
Although both sides have no injury concerns, English seamer James Anderson has been ruled out, as he chooses to stay fit for the Adelaide Test, despite having recovered from the calf strain. The two sides have played each other on 351 occasions, with Australia leading 146-110, while in Australia, of the 180 Tests, the host leads 95-57. In Brisbane, Australia leads 12-4 in 21 Tests.
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Weather and pitch report
The weather in Brisbane might witness some thundershowers in the opening three days, with the temperature expected to be between 27-30 degrees. Also, the track will be bouncy like a typical Australian track, while the team winning the toss might look to bowl first to exploit the overcast conditions.
Probable XI
AUS (confirmed): Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood.
ENG: Rory Burns (wk), Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ollie Pope (wk), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Stuart Broad.
Fantasy XI
Batters: Smith, Root (c), Crawley- Crawley would give the right start, along with Smith at number three, while Root can consolidate at number four. Also, the latter's consistency makes him the skipper.
Wicketkeepers: Buttler, Carey- Buttler would act as a strong opener, while Carey would be fantastic in the middle.
All-rounders: Woakes, Stokes, Labuschagne (vc)- Labuschagne will rule with his bat, while his effectiveness makes him the deputy captain. Stokes would be equally effective in both departments. On the other hand, Woakes would be highly effective with his pace.
Bowlers: Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc- In an all-out pace attack, the trio will be deadly with their pace, while Starc would lead with his seam.
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Match details
Date and day: December 8-12, 2021 (Wednesday-Sunday)
Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane
Time: 5.30 AM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Sony SIX (also available in HD)
Where to watch (Online): Sony LIV
