England will be aiming to rebound from a painful loss although, history and form are against them. Australia have a perfect record in pink-ball Tests, winning eight of them, including five in Adelaide, while England have only won one and lost three, including a 10-wicket loss in their most recent day-night match in India earlier this year.
Head to Head
There have been 71 Ashes series, and the two nations are fairly even in terms of wins – Australia have 33, England have 32, and six series have been drawn. The most recent series, which ended in a 2-2 tie, was played in 2019. Despite Australia’s dominance in the first Test, the second match appears to be more competitive, as England’s star pacers, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, will return to action, while Australia will be missing Josh Hazlewood.
Pitch, Toss & Conditions
“You could set your clock to this wicket every year,” Pat Cummins said, referring to the surface’s transformation into a drop-in with enough grass coverage that offers pace, bounce, sideways movement, and spin. The weather has been warm in the lead-up to the Test, with temperatures expected to reach 30 degrees for the first couple of days before settling down over the weekend. Captain winning the toss will be looking to Bat first and score big.
Key areas to look out for:
The return of James Anderson & Stuart Broad
England quicks, Broad and Anderson, are set to play in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide, with head coach Chris Silverwood proclaiming them “fit and ready to go.” Even before Australia romped to a nine-wicket victory in four days at the Gabba, the omission of the vastly experienced seam-bowling combo raised eyebrows.
Joe Root has confessed that England will have to make some “tough decisions” about the make-up of their XI for the day-night Test in Adelaide, with the balance of the attack and the role of spin looming large. Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, and Ollie Robinson, the three quicks on exhibit in Brisbane, were excellent for much of the second day until fading under Travis Head’s onslaught.
Australia dealt with Hazlewood blow
Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide owing to a side strain he sustained in Brisbane. Western Australia’s Jhye Richardson is the favorite to replace him after an excellent Sheffield Shield season in which he took 23 wickets at an average of 13.43.
Hazlewood bowled on the fourth day at the Gabba, despite being held back for a substantial chunk of the innings due to scans showing a ‘very small’ strain, but considering that it was only the second Test of the series, it was always doubtful he would be risked for the day-night Test.
David Warner back in-form
After a poor Ashes performance in England, Australia’s ace opener is back in form, hitting a crucial 94 with 11 fours and two sixes. After a poor showing against Broad in the last Ashes, it’ll be intriguing to see how Warner bats against him this time around.
David Warner also has the most day-night runs of any batter, with 596 runs at an average of 59.6 in 11 innings. This accounts for 15% of all pink ball runs of Australia.
Will England field an all-pace attack?
There’s also the impending question on left-arm spinner Jack Leach’s position after he was thrashed for 102 in 13 overs, as England may be tempted to go for four specialist quicks given their talent pool. Ben Stokes’ bowling ability following his bruised knee at the Gabba may determine if they feel they can accommodate Leach or off-spinner Dom Bess this time around.
Nathan Lyon’s impressive day-night Test stats
Nathan Lyon has joined an exclusive group of two non-Asian spinners, joining fellow countryman Shane Warne, as the only spinner from outside of Asia to take 400 Test wickets. Lyon has a strong day-night Test record, with 29 wickets at 27.41 (including 19 at 25.78 in Adelaide), and Head, who plays domestic cricket for South Australia, anticipates spin to be a crucial factor. The temperature is projected to reach 35 degrees on Friday, the second day of the Test, further helping his cause.
Predicted Playing XI
Australia: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Lyon
England: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (capt), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson