*Official* Road to the 2025-26 Ashes

[Gob]

I don't know this triggers me so much. The assumption that pitches are made to order to help the home team. If anything recently it's been the opposite. The last home test we played was the Sydney BGT when we needed a draw to win the series and the pitch was the greenest one all summer, ensuring a result that was essentially a lottery

Think they got better against the moving ball tbh. There was a period from 2008/09 to 2017 where there were all mightily collapses. We don't see that all that often now as some one at the top order put their hands up and if not, the tail wag it.

I guess Smith being a great player in all conditions and Heads ability to score on **** wickets have helped. Usman when he was good also plays very late

 

[Gob]

Anyone feel Matty Potts would go well in the Aussie conditions? Feel like he’s the one we might overlook who could do well out there.

All the England quicks would fare better this time given the nature of the wickets and that includes Woakes if he stays fit.

 

[Spark]

All the England quicks would fare better this time given the nature of the wickets and that includes Woakes if he stays fit.

The pitches were pretty spicy in 2021 and England's attack seems obviously worse to me, I dunno if I'd be confident about that.

 

[Molehill]

Is Labuschagne really a viable option for The Ashes??? He looks shot to pieces.

 

[TheJediBrah]

It's looking very unlikely. He hasn't been good enough for over 2 years now but at least he was looking like he can fight out some runs. Currently he can't even do that. Would be a miracle if he can get back to a competent level by the ashes, if ever

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

The pitches were pretty spicy in 2021 and England's attack seems obviously worse to me, I dunno if I'd be confident about that.

While we are missing the best past of 2,000 international wickets, as well as Ollie Robinson who on talent alone gets into our team, but our current attack isn’t bad, and the Aussie batting lineup is a lot flakier

 

[Molehill]

While we are missing the best past of 2,000 international wickets, as well as Ollie Robinson who on talent alone gets into our team, but our current attack isn’t bad, and the Aussie batting lineup is a lot flakier

That's an understatement. On the basis of these ODI's, Smith and Khawaja have a lot of heavy lifting to do (and Smith is hardly smashing up The Hundred at the mo).

 

[Chin Music]

That's an understatement. On the basis of these ODI's, Smith and Khawaja have a lot of heavy lifting to do (and Smith is hardly smashing up The Hundred at the mo).

I wouldn't place anything at all on what Smith does in the Hundred. Surely you meant Head and not Khwawja?

 

[Molehill]

I wouldn't place anything at all on what Smith does in the Hundred. Surely you meant Head and not Khwawja?

You can say that, but 78 runs in 5 innings isn't great (his opening partner has 200). Head is currently failing in the ODI's, Khawaja is seemingly the one certainty to come into the Test team.

 

[Spark]

Claiming that the Hundred has any bearing whatsoever on Test match batting form is an insult to the intelligence of everyone who has to read it tbh

 

[andruid]

Anyone feel Matty Potts would go well in the Aussie conditions? Feel like he’s the one we might overlook who could do well out there.

Especially if he has Stone and Wood with him

I mean, England lost the Test with the most ‘traditional’ English wicket against India, and BazBall has worked best on flat decks (and has consistently asked for something like traditional Aussie pitches), Australia are best served producing traditional English pitches lol

More evidence that these are the end times

 

[Chin Music]

While we are missing the best past of 2,000 international wickets, as well as Ollie Robinson who on talent alone gets into our team, but our current attack isn’t bad, and the Aussie batting lineup is a lot flakier

I do think a potential lineup of Atkinson, Archer, Carse whom will probably go better overseas than in UK along with Stokes is not a bad seam attack. Of course the issue is who supports them if Wood isn't fit. It lacks depth fairly obviously and you would think any of them will go all five.

 

[Molehill]

Claiming that the Hundred has any bearing whatsoever on Test match batting form is an insult to the intelligence of everyone who has to read it tbh

I'd normally agree with you, but he got done for pace by an Archer short ball on Wednesday (not for the first time) and has basically looked pretty scratchy. Long time to go before Nov though.....

 

[TheJediBrah]

I'd normally agree with you, but he got done for pace by an Archer short ball on Wednesday (not for the first time) and has basically looked pretty scratchy. Long time to go before Nov though.....

He got done for pace by an Archer short ball in the 2019 Ashes too. Really struggled that series

 

[Gob]

Claiming that the Hundred has any bearing whatsoever on Test match batting form is an insult to the intelligence of everyone who has to read it tbh

I was going to say that roe joot also had a pretty meh hundred so far but apparently he made a 70 odd recently so he should do well in the Ashes. Smith also made a 40 odd today witch will help him to do well in the Ashes #thinklikeamoron

 

[TheJediBrah]

#thinklikeamoron

Ok "We should put Marnus back in the Test team"

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

I do think a potential lineup of Atkinson, Archer, Carse whom will probably go better overseas than in UK along with Stokes is not a bad seam attack. Of course the issue is who supports them if Wood isn't fit. It lacks depth fairly obviously and you would think any of them will go all five.

The age of England consistently producing green seamers is well and truly gone lol, the bowling got stick against India but I don’t think they did badly all things considered. Obviously Stokes got injured trying to conjure up some magic on a dead pitch at OT, but ideally we won’t be relying on him so much on pitches that’ll do more, and against a batting lineup under the cosh at the moment

 

[the big bambino]

I don't think you can draw conclusions on Australia's batting simply based on Marnus. There's no point making assumptions on the overall flakiness of the team based on a player who isn't even in the side. Places 3-7 are pretty settled. Marnus can put pressure on that arrangement if he starts making runs again. I also have prayerful hopes for Sangha.

The pressure on our batting will come from the openers. We have 4 in contention and only one is certain and that on incumbency not form. Inevitably the green wickets will cause problems. I'm liking England's attack. They have pace and bounce in their squad. Surely not all of them will get injured at once. Spin is their weakness but once again the pitches will nullify that problem.

 

[Gob]

Ok "We should put Marnus back in the Test team"

Yes how could they pick a proven test batsman with a 46 plus average when there are a plethora of fine 35 averaging shield batsman going around. What was I thinking

 

[Nintendo]

Yes how could they pick a proven test batsman with a 46 plus average when there are a plethora of fine 35 averaging shield batsman going around. What was I thinking

Except on recent form marnus isn't a 46 average bat? Teams are bowling wider to him, he's getting squared up a ton by back of a length balls and/or edging fuller balls he should be leaving. We've tried letting him figure out his issues with the wide stuff in tests and its not worked. He's so shot right now that even div 2 county bowlers are getting him out that way cheaply that way.

Marnus needs a full shield stint and county season away from the national team to figure his stuff out. I still think he's capable of an Usman style turnaround, but that's not going to happen in tests.