ADELAIDE: England are preparing to throw the kitchen sink at Australia in the day-night second Ashes Test starting at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday in a bid to level the series after seeing their best-laid plans torn to shreds in the Gabba opener.

Only one team have come back from a 2-0 deficit to win the Ashes — the Don Bradman-captained Australia that pulled off the comeback for the ages in 1936-37.

While Joe Root has enjoyed a Bradman-esque 2021 with the bat, scoring the most runs in a calendar year by an English batsman, it might be a stretch to compare his team with the Depression-era Australians.

And they face a rejuvenated side that has turned day-night cricket into a competitive advantage, winning all eight of their Tests under lights — five of those in Adelaide — dating back to the format’s 2015 debut. That run included the 120-run victory over Root’s England in Adelaide during the 2017-18 series, which stretched Australia’s lead to 2-0 on the way to a 4-0 hiding.

Where England have recalled heavyweight veteran pacers Stuart Broad and James Anderson for the second Test, Australia have their own swing maestro in Mitchell Starc and a proven pink ball performer in skipper Pat Cummins.

Starc took an eight-wicket match haul in the 2017 Ashes test in Adelaide, while Cummins, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, has racked up 26 day-night wickets in five matches at an average of 16.23.

Pace, however, is not the be-all and end-all at the Adelaide Oval. Spin also has a role, as Nathan Lyon’s six wickets in 2017 showed.

Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough said England would be missing a trick if they did not pick a specialist spinner.

“History says that the pitch will spin,” Hough told reporters on Wednesday. “Nathans always played a role out there. So from our end we believe that spin at Adelaide needs to play a part.”

Anderson said he wants to play all four remaining Ashes Tests after he and Broad were included in England’s 12-man squad for the second Test.

The two greatest wicket-takers in England Test history, with 1,156 scalps between them, were controversially left out for the series opener at Brisbane, where they crashed by nine wickets inside four days.

But both are back in the frame for the clash under lights at Adelaide, where the pink ball’s extra movement should suit their game.

Their return means speedster Mark Wood, who impressed in Brisbane, has been rested with selectors opting instead for fellow pacemen Ollie Robinson and Chris Woakes.

They also kept faith with spinner Jack Leach, who was punished in Brisbane but could come into his own on Adelaide’s traditionally spin-friendly wicket.

A final decision on who to omit will be made at the toss after a last look at the wicket on what is forecast to be a fine, dry day.

“I came here wanting to be available for five [Tests] and that doesn’t change now, I want to be available for the next four,” said a defiant Anderson, 39, who has taken a record 632 Test wickets — more than any other seam bowler in history.

“I think the gaps between the next few Tests, it might be a bit easier to get that rest in between and make sure everyone’s fresh, but that’s something out of my control. I’ve just got to do my best if I get picked tomorrow.”

WARNER FIT, RICHARDSON REPLACES HAZLEWOOD

Meanwhile, Cummins said opener David Warner will play through the pain in the second Ashes Test as Jhye Richardson got the nod to replace Josh Hazlewood.

Warner scored 94 in the first innings at the opening Test in Brisbane but didn’t field or bat in Australia’s second innings as he nursed bruised ribs after being pummelled by the England attack. The 35-year-old padded up in the Adelaide Oval nets on Tuesday evening and made several audible cries of pain, but Cummins said he would play the Test.

“He [Warner] will be right, he had a bat yesterday and batted with a bit of discomfort, but knowing Davey he’s not going to miss this one,” Cummins said.

“He’ll be fine once the adrenaline kicks in. It’s one thing batting in the nets and another when you walk out in front of a packed crowd.

“He’s played close to 90 Tests and I’m sure a lot of them have been played in discomfort,” he added of the flamboyant star, who will open the innings alongside Marcus Harris.

The only change Cummins named to the side that crushed England by nine wickets at the Gabba last week was Richardson as replacement for Hazlewood, who was ruled out this week with a side strain.

Right-arm quick bowler Richardson had been in contention with Michael Neser and will add to his two Tests, spearheading the attack alongside Cummins, Starc and Lyon.

Squads:

AUSTRALIA: Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jhye Richardson

ENGLAND: Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Haseeb Hameed, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root (capt) Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2021