The Ashes 2021/22: Jhye Richardson putting pressure on selectors for Gabba inclusion
There’s an Ashes bolter pushing hard for selection at the Gabba – but which of our established stars should make way? We crunch the data.
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Bolter Jhye Richardson’s imposing record at the Gabba has selectors seriously considering breaking up its fast bowling ‘big three’ for the first Ashes Test.
There is a strong push for Richardson after he carved up Queensland in a recent Sheffield Shield match in Brisbane, but any decision to dump Mitchell Starc is far from clear cut and comes with a high degree of risk.
News Corp has analysed the individual records of the five fast bowlers in Australia’s squad across each of the five Ashes venues, after National Selector George Bailey revealed the series would be approached with a ‘squad mentality.’
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Richardson’s sizzling first-class form in recent weeks will be hard to ignore, especially considering Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are all coming off a Twenty20 diet: but what the Fox Cricket stats show is that if you play around with the ‘big three’ you do so at your peril.
Starc’s economy rate at the Gabba isn’t amazing, but he does average 4.25 wickets a Test at the venue, and there is an argument to play him in the first Test just so he is cherry ripe for the second Test under lights in Adelaide where Australia know they need him as the first bowler picked.
Queenslander Michael Neser is in the Australian squad and if he is to play anywhere this summer it would be at the Gabba, where he averages nearly five wickets a match – but he is working his way back from a hamstring injury.
Former Test selector and Queensland assistant coach Andrew Bichel says Neser should work his way into the equation, but was also impressed by Richardson’s form against Queensland at the Gabba and can understand the push to play him.
“The impressive part of him (Richardson) was his consistency,’’ Bichel said.
“You want to take in form players into the Ashes. He played at the Gabba a few weeks ago. I think he really complements the squad as well just the fact that he has the ability to bowl fast and swing the ball.
“He likes bowling at the Gabba and I can definitely see why he is a chance to play.’’
According to Fox Cricket’s comprehensive analysis, Starc is a must-have at three of the five Ashes venues and hard-pressed to exclude in Brisbane – leaving the SCG as the only ground where his numbers don’t stack up well.
But there is no form line for Richardson or Neser at the SCG either, which suggests selectors should really consider a second spinner in Mitchell Swepson.
Starc only played in one Ashes Test on the 2019 tour of the UK, but that had extremely mixed results for selectors, who missed a trick by not playing him at Leeds and The Oval.
“Obviously we’ve got a strong attack, guys coming into the squad who have been playing Shield cricket and performing well for a long time,” Starc told News Corp.
“That was what was spoken about in the last Ashes in England and being a squad mentality and everyone bought into that.
“Ultimately we almost got to our goal of winning the Ashes, we retained the Ashes and we set out to bring them back and one way or another we did that.
“No one wants to rest, rotate or be dropped, we all want to play every game, but ultimately it’s about trying to win a series for Australia.”
Fast bowling performances across the board have been underwhelming at the MCG, with the exception of new captain Cummins – who has risen above the pack.
Cummins has already declared that he will not rest as skipper.
But National Selector Bailey has already stated that rotation will have to be considered across a five-Test series.
BROAD’S SEVEN DEADLY WARNER WICKETS (taken over just 104 balls during 2019 Ashes)
1st innings, first Test, Edgbaston
Warner lbw Broad 2
Broad sets the tone for the series by striking in just his second over, trapping Warner in front with a full and fast delivery. Warner, thinking he’s out plumb, walks to the rooms as the crowd goes wild. But hawk-eye shows ball was missing leg stump and Warner failed to review. Broad ends the innings with 5/86.
2nd innings, first Test, Edgbaston
Warner c Bairstow b Broad 8
Warner tries to leave, but the ball is an awkward length and he can’t quite get his bat out of the way. Broad, in his second over, isn’t convinced but the slips cordon is adamant and review the decision. The ball has nicked the back of Warner’s bat and Broad has his 450th Test wicket.
1st innings, second Test, Lord’s
Warner b Broad 3
Broad comes in round the wicket, the ball darts in and clips the leg-side bail. Warner tried to play a defensive shot but was well beaten by a great ball.
2nd innings, third Test, Leeds
Warner lbw Broad 0
Broad delivers from wide on the crease and movement off the seam sees the ball whack into Warner’s pad. The umpire hesitates but then gives it out, Warner reviews, DRS confirms umpire’s decision. Warner is gone for a second-ball duck.
1st innings, fourth Test, Manchester
Warner c Bairstow b Broad 0
Broad strikes in the first over. Warner leaves a tight one, but the next ball is another good length, wide of off stump, but doesn’t shape away and Warner is too late to get his bat out of the way and he edges it to the keeper.
2nd innings, fourth Test, Manchester
Warner lbw Broad 0
Broad sets Warner up nicely with a tight over, finishing with a straighter delivery on a good length that hits him in the pads. Warner suffers his first pair in Test cricket and that’s three ducks in a row.
2nd innings, fifth Test, The Oval
Warner c Burns b Broad 11
In just the seventh over of the innings, bowling round the wicket, Broad entices Warner into an edge and Burns takes a fine catch in the slips. Broad ends the innings with 4-62.
“There’s obviously enough data and analytics around which bowlers perform well at certain grounds and how they match up together,” said Bailey a couple of weeks ago when the squad was picked.
“There’s a whole raft of things that come into that as well.
“But first and foremost it’s really about the preparation … fast bowling is so physically challenging and there’s so many different factors that come into what you try to put together when you put a bowling group together.
“It only takes one or two things to shift and it can have a bit of a flow-on effect to how everything else looks as well.”
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