Ashes 2021-22: All the Australia team news ahead of the Boxing Day Test at MCG
Joe Root said his dismissals against Cameron Green were due to poor shots, but the all-rounder has been key in stopping England’s talisman.
The kid with a British passport who has become England’s giant killer has twice taken down Joe Root without possessing a special bowling plan to the stylish captain.
Cameron Green’s 58 balls to Root have yielded 2-24 although England’s captain simply said: “I played two poor shots to him”.
The 198cm allrounder brings extra bounce and Root was furious with himself that twice he had been sucked into playing unnecessary shots against the 22-year-old.
Green said: “I just have very simple plans to him – keep it tight from one end and let the other guys do their job.
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“It‘s very simple to all batters. I’m the fifth bowler so keep it tight at my end and give the other guys a bit of a spell. I’ve just got lucky a couple of times.”
Green’s mother was born in the UK and he plans to play County Cricket there in 2022 to prepare for the following year’s Ashes tour.
Returning skipper Pat Cummins’ 7-158 (323 balls) against Root shapes as a more serious threat while Cummins has 2-2 against Ben Stokes this series.
Jos Buttler survived 58 balls from Mitchell Starc as part of his 207-ball resistance on day five in Adelaide, but Starc’s figures are 2-16 against the wicketkeeper this Ashes.
Starc was unlucky not to strike for a third time when Alex Carey didn’t attempt to catch a nick.
“He’s got that extra pace and can almost power-fade the ball across you so you know the slips and gully are always in play,” Buttler said.
“Being that left-arm angle coming at cross you at times it’s harder to leave the ball alone.”
Jhye ready to rip as Hazlewood takes back seat
Josh Hazlewood failed to bowl in the MCG nets on Friday with Jhye Richardson firming to hold his place in Australia’s Ashes attack ahead of Michael Neser and Scott Boland.
Allrounder Cameron Green gave the biggest hint yet that Richardson, his West Australian teammate and the five-wicket hero from the second innings at Adelaide Oval, would get the chance to back up his stunning return to Test cricket.
“I spoke to him today and he’s all good to go,” Green said on Friday.
“We’re all really pumped with how he went in that second innings. He was so happy, as you would be. He’s ready to go again.”
Australia’s attack jetted in from Sydney late on Thursday with new captain Pat Cummins certain to return, most likely dislodging Neser from the XI.
That is expected to be the only change with Mitchell Starc (rib) letting rip in the nets and Marcus Harris locked in for another crack at owning the position at the top of the order.
Richardson, 25, bagged 5-42 in the second innings to take the sting out of England’s Hail Mary attempt at escaping the day-night Test with a draw.
On Hazlewood, Green said: “He was doing his run-throughs today and is looking really good. I haven’t spoken to the guys for this game, but definitely lock him in for Sydney.”
The MCG pitch is looking markedly green compared to previous years.
“The last few years have been a bit flat,” Green said. “But looking at the wicket now it looks like it’s got a bit of grass.
“It will depend on what they want to do on Boxing Day if they want to cut it or not. But it looks like a really good wicket.”
England will release a squad on Friday night, but is tipped to make as many as four changes.
Zak Crawley will replace struggling opener Rory Burns while Mark Wood will return, most likely in place of Chris Woakes.
Jonny Bairstow is tipped to come in for Ollie Pope while either Dom Bess or Jack Leach are likely to make it four changes by giving Root a specialist spin option.
Australia took Leach (1-102 off 13 overs) down at the Gabba and his disastrous economy rate of 7.8 runs per over could see Bess leapfrog him.
Veteran Stuart Broad – who defended the lengths England bowled in a newspaper column shortly after captain Joe Root accused his quicks of bowling too short – could be left out for the second time in three Ashes Tests.
The Aussies were in such good spirits at training that coach Justin Langer gave one child watching an early Christmas present by gifting him a cricket ball.
David Warner joked with Marnus Labuschagne about his need to bring four cricket bats into the nets before Starc bowled over Australia’s No.3 – a rare sight at training.
Harris faced a lot of fast bowling and Travis Head enjoyed having a trundle in the spinners’ net.
Root backed himself to “bang out a hundred” as England prepared to go all-out for a Boxing Day victory that would keep the series alive.
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