After a bizarre buildup, where the cricket was reduced to the margins, the much-awaited Ashes series gets underway, on Wednesday, 8 December, at the Gabba, Brisbane.
England's last win at this venue came way back in 1986, and they have not won a Test in Australia since 2010/11. Since their 3-1 win that Australian summer, they have lost nine games across two tours and drawn one. The man who saved that Test match, Alastair Cook, retired three years ago.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson are the only two cricketers in the current English side to be part of a winning side on Australian soil. Anderson, however, is not named in the 12-member squad for the Brisbane Test. If Ben Stokes can bowl, England may play Jack Leach ahead of the fourth pacer. Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson are likely to start, and there will be a toss-up between Mark Wood and Stuart Broad.
Australia have named their playing XI. Marcus Harris will open the innings with David Warner, while Alex Carey is set to make his Test debut. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will spearhead the pace attack, and Nathan Lyon is the lone spinner in the side.
Torrential downpour is predicted for the first two days, but the Gabba has an excellent drainage system, so we may have some cricket.
Probable XIs
Australia: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc.
England: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Joe Root (c), Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad
Betway Fantasy Tips
- The in-form Root is a must-pick.
- Make Cummins the captain of your fantasy XI.
- Burns struck a century and two half-centuries in the Ashes 2019. Pick him.
Fantasy XI:
Joe Root (vc), Pat Cummins (c) , Rory Burns, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Chris Woakes, Josh Hazlewood, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes, David Warner, Jos Buttler