Ashes 2025-26.

[sussexpob]

I don't share your hopes for Bashir , AC. Few visiting spinners do well here and I can see him getting monstered

To put it bluntly, the list of away off spinners who did well post-WW2 in Australia as far as I am aware is, well, pretty much literally a blank page save for Jim Laker having a few good games. Saqlain Mushtaq did ok in the mid-90s, but ok in the context of what came and went before him... averaging high 30s isnt exactly match-winning stuff.

Murali, Ashwin, Swann, Harbi, Ajmal.... all range from very bad to catastrophically terrible.

The most direct comparison in recent times is Moeen Ali... who took 1 wicket per test over a whole series at over 100 runs a piece. And Moeen was a better bowler than Shoiab...

I expect the Aussies to end Bashir's test career by test 3

[sussexpob]

Archer/Atkinson/Carse/Potts/Tongue/Wood/Bashir

I ask myself, in the situation of a flat deck, good Aussie batting, and a nice 30 plus hot day... how much of this attack is left after 50-60 overs.

[Durhamfootman]

Potts and Bashir

[Durhamfootman]

Bit of a wasted season for him. Apart from the international debut.

always

[Arthur Crabtree]

Plenty of home off spinners have done well in Australia. And Bashir's height might do well on harder pitches. I'm thinking of someone like Ashley Mallett.

I remember Miller and Emburey doing really well, admittedly against a weak side and with two Tests in Sydney. Also did well in Perth (on a different ground!). And from memory, I think I recall Embers doing ok on another tour. 86-7?

But mainly operating on a hunch level..

[Arthur Crabtree]

It would be encouraging if he could land the ball where he wants it more consistently.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Seems Honest Joe isn't fancied to do well by the Aussie media and former greats.

I'll be surprised though if he's not series top scorer for the tourists.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Bigger news story is Pat Cummins is doubtful for the whole series and certainly out the first Test. Well, so say the press. Apparently CA's view is he's not out the first Test.

Press say Boland will play... and the Bleached Bradman will be captain.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Matt Renshaw is being touted for a recall.

[sussexpob]

Seems Honest Joe isn't fancied to do well by the Aussie media and former greats. I'll be surprised though if he's not series top scorer for the tourists.

I think if you pick through the Aussie press and disregard those that are clearly doing their duty or just doing a McGrath 5-0 type joke take, underneath is a lot of respect is being paid to Joe Root. Even Brad Haddin, who loves nothing more than getting a dig at England, said Australian's need to forget his no century in Australia record, because that will probably be gone by the first test.

[sussexpob]

Matt Renshaw is being touted for a recall.

I think players like Renshaw are a stark reminder to England fans that even when it appears that Australia are at a low ebb in their batting unit, Aussie bats have tended to still do well on home turf. No finer example than Renshaw, who made some scores in his short career at home, but batted like he'd never seen a cricket ground in Asia.

Even the likes of Joe Burns and Shaun Marsh did well at home. Handscomb had a good record at home. Adam Voges batted like Bradman at home. Could say even Warner wasn't a test class bat in away conditions for large points, but at home he was a monster.

It wouldnt suprise me at all if a few come out the woodwork for Australia and make key runs

[alfie]

Suppose Renshaw is a possible choice ; but I am leaning towards the idea of Marnus getting the opening spot initially alongside Khawaja. Though he might need to keep making scores in the Shield now that he's left to play there rather than join the white ballers. Not sure this is a great idea as he wouldn't be the only one batting out of position.

Some of those "good records at home" chaps Sussex mentions probably owe a fair bit to playing on some very flat decks. We might find a bit more life in this year's pitches.

[sussexpob]

I think all bets are off on the pitch front, Alfie.

The new Perth Stadium seems to have quickly become a bowlers paradise. Brisbane is historically one of the world's great pitches, but D/N games have proven to be heavily imbalanced to pace bowling (SL were bowled out for 40 there recently). Sydney no longer seems to spin and games I remember watching recently have been played on very green pitches early that flatten out, Adelaide has had so many D/N low scoring games that you can't really judge what the pitch is during the day... And the groundsman at the MCG can't decide if he wants to produce a wicket that wouldn't produce a result in 19 days, or something that is impossible to score 20 on, with seemingly nothing in between.

I have a feeling low scoring series favours England, but it adds an element of lottery in it. Certainly Bumrah and the Indians performed better in Australia when scores were lower because it eliminated the Aussie advantage in exploiting India's batsman weaknesses on harder wickets.

So I wonder if the Aussie pitch curators will be under orders to make it flatter. In 17-18, England were annihilated on flatter decks because they just could not bowl on them. Australia scored a mountain of runs by memory

[Arthur Crabtree]

Cloud cover still has an impact. But naturally is unpredictable. My one visit to the MCG saw the Aussie top order collapse under cloud, and then Gilchrist and Symonds add about 300 when the sky cleared and the pitch looked suddenly flat.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Renshaw batting at four in the current game for Queensland. Labuscagne at three.