Ashes 2019: 4th Test Preview – Aussies bank on Smith’s return to topple upbeat England
After a once in a lifetime innings from Ben Stokes, the 2019 edition of the Ashes returns again. All the parties involved in that dramatic final day at Headingley have had a few moments to take a breather. Both the teams will now aim to find their intensity again with the series poised at 1-1. This series has arguably been the closest one since the legendary edition in 2005, with both the teams so evenly matched.
While England have had to rely on the individual brilliance of Stokes, Australia had themselves to blame for not taking a 2-0 lead. They had many chances to wrap up the game, but high-profile blunders in the field left them eventually scratching their heads. Head coach Justin Langer later said in a press conference that he believed that the Ashes were robbed from Australia. That’s exactly what the Headingley Test was – a daylight robbery in which Australia themselves lend a helping hand. With the talismanic Steve Smith back, they will hope to find some inspiration to put the defeat behind.
For England, Stokes’ efforts still won’t mask the various flaws in their lineup. Their batting has looked paper-thin and not up to the mark. To rectify this, the batting order will be reshuffled. But the personnel will be the same and it will be a big ask for them to survive against a fiery Australian pace attack.
All in all, weather permitting, the landscape has been set for Manchester to witness one of the most riveting contests in recent memory of the Ashes.
Match Info
England vs Australia: 4th Test, 4th September
Old Trafford, Manchester (03:30 PM IST)
Head-to-Head
Played – 349
England wins – 109
Australia wins -145
Drawn – 95
Team News
England
England have already announced one big change, though not in terms of personnel. Jason Roy has failed to repeat his limited-overs exploits as an opener in Test cricket. He and Joe Denly are set to swap their positions in the batting order, with Roy set to move at No.4. With James Anderson ruled out, England have also replaced Chris Woakes with Craig Overton and will hugely rely on the pace of Jofra Archer to give them breakthroughs. The mettle of many of the batsmen in Test cricket though still remains a big question mark.
Australia
Their failure to wrap up the English tail at Headingley may well see the introduction of Mitchell Starc for the first time in the series. With Smith’s imminent return, No.3 batsman Usman Khawaja has been dropped. The hugely impressive Marnus Labuschagne is set to earn a promotion up the batting order. The Aussies have also opted to persist with the formula of fielding only four frontline bowlers. The question now remains on what will their pace bowling combination be at Old Trafford.
Key players
Ben Stokes (England): Who else but Ben Stokes? His century at Leeds stunned the cricket world, as he well and truly pulled a rabbit out of the bag. He remains the only cricketer in the English lineup, apart from Jofra Archer who is currently brimming with confidence. His fearlessness and audacity to take it to the Australians has made him a cult figure back in his home country. The crowd will be waiting with bated breath for another Stokes masterclass.
Steve Smith (Australia): It took Steve Smith only two Test matches since his comeback to overtake Virat Kohli in the ICC rankings. Such has been his impact for Australia during the Ashes. He is head and shoulders above any other batsman participating in the series and his mere presence on the field will make a huge difference. England still haven’t figured out how to break the Steve Smith code, though Archer did rattle him in the second Test. Averaging 126 in the series, the Aussies will again bank upon their former skipper to do the bulk of the scoring.
Probable XI
England: R Burns, J Denly, J Root (c), J Roy, B Stokes, J Bairstow (wk), J Buttler, C Overton, J Archer, S Broad, J Leach.
Australia: D Warner, M Harris, M Labuschagne, S Smith, T Head, M Wade, T Paine (c & wk), P Cummins, M Starc, J Hazlewood, N Lyon.
