The Australian line-up is bolstered by the inclusion of Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
After a long gap, the 3rd Ashes Test between the two arch-rivals is finally underway in Adelaide. Australia are bolstered with the inclusion of skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon in their line-ups, while England have made one change, including Josh Tongue in the scheme of things. However, there is one simple change from the previous two Tests.
The players of both the teams are wearing black armbands on Day 1 of the Test, and also observed a minute’s silence before the start of play. This was done to pay respects to the victims of the terror incident which took place near Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14. As many as 15 people are known to have lost their lives in the disheartening incident.
Skipper Pat Cummins spoke about the same in the pre-match press conference, and was also well supported by Ben Stokes. The Australian skipper recollected the incident stating that it was extremely close from his house in Sydney. He revealed that he was left horrified after the incident, which he came to know about via the news channels on television.
England skipper Ben Stokes also spoke about the situation, referring to it as “an awful thing to watch unfold.” He stated that the English side were in their hotel rooms when they heard about the incident, and were deeply in shock seeing what had transpired. That being said, the players from both teams have observed a minute’s silence and put on black armbands as a mark of respect.
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Coming back to the cricketing scheme of things, the hosts have a lot less to worry about than the visitors – who are back from a little vacation. Australia pulled the strings on the Three Lions in the first two Tests, pretty much without two of their best speedsters – Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. To add to that, Nathan Lyon played just the first Test, and was not used to his full potential either.
It would not be a wrong judgement to state that the Three Lions have been the reason for their own downfall. The first Test was completely in balance till the English batters were around 171/2 in the second innings, with a lead with them. However, things went south to an extent from where they were never able to recover. A Travis Head masterclass was enough to blow them away.
Similarly in the second Test in Brisbane, the Three Lions were simply unable to win the big moments in the game. Each time when they were pushed against the wall, they could not come back stronger and succumbed to the might of the Australians. With Cummins and Lyon adding to the attack, the visitors will have to put their best foot forward in the 3rd Ashes Test.
Having said that, the English bowlers will have to find ways to keep their counterparts in check. The Aussies found it way too easy to rotate the strike in both the Tests so far, which did not let the pressure mount on them. This is one of the most important things which Jofra Archer & Co. will have to be aware of. They cannot trade wayward bowling just for pace.
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