The Ashes will be played in Australia later this year.
The Ashes series is more than three months away, and the mind games have already started. The Ashes series is one of the most coveted Test series played between England and Australia. The English will be on the flight to Australia later this year. The Ashes series is set to commence from November 21 in Perth. Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney will host the remaining four games respectively. The series is played after every two years. The 2023 series was hosted by England, and was tied at 2-2 after the five Tests were played. Australia won the first two Tests, but the hosts did well to come back to win two out of the next three games. Joe Root will be an important factor for England.
The Ashes series in 2021-22 was a one-sided affair. Australia hosted the series, and also won it by a margin of 4-0. This series also witnessed the first Ashes Test to be hosted in Tasmania. Travis Head was regarded as the Player of the Series for his comprehensive run in the five-match series. The tournament has a rich history, and is known for its fierce competitive nature of play. The trophy, referred to as the urn, is currently with Australia, and it will be interesting to witness the action unfold later this year.
Having said that, the verbal battles have a tendency to begin months before the Test matches do. Joe Root, widely regarded as one of the best batters in Test cricket at the moment will be a key factor for England in the series. Former Australian opener David Warner has put forth his views on what will be important for the English batter in The Ashes this season.
The former Australian opener has warned Joe Root about his shortcomings against pacer Josh Hazlewood. Root has been dismissed LBW just three times by the Aussie quick in his Test career. However, Warner feels that the English batter might have to be careful against the Australian speedster. To add to that, Hazlewood is also known for his accuracy and can bowl on the same spots for long periods in the game. He has notched up 76 wickets against England in just 18 Test appearances till date, and would love to make this series count.
ALSO READ:
Warner referred to Root as the anchor for England, but also mentioned that he is yet to score a century on Australian soil. The English No.4 holds the second-most runs in Test cricket history only after Sachin Tendulkar. Warner then took a sly dig at Root mentioning his numbers against Hazlewood. Warner feels that the former English skipper will have to keep his front foot in check. This will help him avoid getting caught in front of the wickets.
“The big anchor there is Rooty [Joe Root], who is yet to score a hundred in Australia. Josh Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He will have to get the surfboard off his front leg”, said Warner in an interview with BBC Sport.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
