Life won’t be easy for English bodies on harder wickets
Scott Bailey |
Brett Lee has urged England to front load their Ashes attack and play both Mark Wood and Jofra Archer in Perth, despite a warning from Mitchell Starc that Australian conditions could test the tourists’ longevity.
England have arrived in Australia armed with arguably their quickest fast-bowling cartel this century, spearheaded by out-and-out speedsters Wood and Archer.
Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse are also capable of bowling in excess of 145km/h, giving England pace to burn.
How the tourists manage their quicks remains a major talking point ahead of the series, with both Archer and Wood having endured tough runs with injuries.
Of England’s five speedsters, only Wood has played a Test in Australia before, when he was close to their best bowler in 2021-22.
Atkinson, Tongue and Carse have debuted in the past three years, while England’s other seamer Matthew Potts has played 10 Tests since 2022.
Regardless, Starc warned doing the job in Australia is much more difficult than running in and bowling quick in England.
“It goes unspoken a bit or it’s underrated how the firmness of wickets here are completely different to England,” he told AAP earlier this summer.
“Physically bowling in England is a lot easier.
“You have the Dukes ball that moves around for 80 overs and does more off the seam.The wickets are softer under foot.
“You come to Australia and at times it’s like bowling on (concrete). It’s rock hard, your body feels it a lot more.”
Starc suggested that could loom as a challenge for the tourists as the series develops.
“It takes a little bit to get used to, it takes a bit of hardening to get through five Tests here,” he said.
“They are going to have the depth to bowl really fast.
“Have they got the depth on firmer surfaces with a Kookaburra ball that doesn’t do the same for as long as a Dukes ball?
“That’s conditions-based as well.”
There is an argument for England to rotate Wood and Archer through the series, ensuring they have one of the dangerous duo fit and available for each of the five Tests.
Wood’s speed helped change the 2023 Ashes when he was brought in for the third Test at Headingley, with his opening spell in Leeds shifting the series.
It was Archer’s pace that troubled Australia in 2019, but he has managed just 11 Tests in the six years since.
Despite that, Australia’s own former pace spearhead Lee believes it is vital for England to have Archer and Wood both play in Perth from November 21.
“If England are going to win this series, they have to play Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. It’s as simple as that,” Lee said.
“You need them to rip in and try to disturb the Australian top order. Because there is a lot of conjecture over who they pick at the top of the order.
“They’re different styles of bowlers.
“Mark Wood is all out, He has a massive heart, puts his team first, got a beautiful action. It’s like poetry watching him run in.
“Then you have Jofra Archer who is more of a shoulder-power bowler and gets that really good bump off the crease and trajectory off the wicket.”
AAP
