Cricket’s biggest rivalry, The Ashes is all set to start from December 8. Australia and England will lock horns at the Gabba. Australia is the current title-holder of the Ashes, having drawn the 2019 edition in England. The series will be part of the ongoing 2021-23 World Test Championship.
Australia will be confident of retaining the urn as they start as big favorites to win this series. Despite suffering the loss of skipper Tim Paine because of his off-field conduct, Aussies looking strong and well-balanced side. Especially in the batting department with the likes of Warner, Smith, Marnus, and Head. Also, they have plenty of quality with the ball too – Captain Pat Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, and Lyon.
England on the other hand will be looking to win an Ashes series in Australia for the first time since 2010/11. In fact, they have won only one Ashes series in Australia from 1986 to 2017. The return of all-rounder Ben Stokes will be a huge boost for the tourists. However, Jimmy Anderson has been ruled out because of a calf strain in what is a devastating blow for England. If England has to turn the tables then their bowling unit has to adapt to the Australian conditions from the very first match.
Match Details
Match: Australia vs England – 1st Test
Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane.
Date & Time: 8th December 2021 – 13th December 2021 at 5:30 am (IST)
Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network & SonyLiv app.
Australia vs England Head-to-Head
Total – 351
Australia – 146
England – 110
Draw – 95
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Gabba has always been batting friendly. The ball comes onto the bat nicely, and the batters will find it easy to bat on the surface. Fast bowlers have taken most of the wickets at this venue, there is much on offer for the spinners. The average 1st innings score at this venue in the last 5 matches is 273 runs. The weather forecast is not good for this match as showers and thunderstorms are expected for the first two days.
Australia vs England – Announced Playing XI
Australia: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
England: Haseeb Hameed, Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad/Jack Leach
Key Players
Australia: David Warner, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Marnus Labuschagne
England: Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, David Malan
