Starc’s Ashes: England defy Australia for a time as Stokes and Jacks fight for Ashes redemption
Australia’s Mitchell Starc has turned the Ashes into his personal showcase, devastating England’s batsmen after his crucial 77 rescued the hosts.
Starc’s Ashes.
What else can well call ‘em? He’s skittled England’s teetering, tottering batsmen as if they’re assembled in white at the end of a tenpin bowling alley. When Australia has need to bat for 153 minutes or thereabouts to ensure Mitchell Starc can bowl under lights, Mitchell Starc, from the off-Broadway position of No. 8, has batted for 153 minutes, bless his cotton socks, to record Australia’s top score of 77 while the poor old Poms wilt in the Brisbane heat and eventually lose the second Test at the Gabba.
Starc’s Ashes.
Favourite moment? Starc, Mitchell, is atop his run-up before the final ball on day three. The masses are running wild. A patron wearing his full cricket kit, including thigh pad, and batting gloves, and elbow guard, and the cap of his local club, is juggling two beers and hollering, “One more wicket, Starcyyy!” The big left-armer is sweating like the pig called “Botham” and “Eddie” who once roamed the ’Gabba outfield. Starcyyy’s knackered. He’s done everything you can ask of him and more, and yet he thinks he has one last drop of petrol in his tank, and so he grimaces and implores himself, “C’mon on”.
Love that moment. C’mon. Only for Starc to dish up a dud ball to Will Jacks, wide of off stump. He can be forgiven. You expect him to rip through England’s tail on Sunday but he delivers only three overs to Ben Stokes and Will Jacks in the opening session. It ain’t over till it’s over, or as Fox Cricket’s perceptive commentator Adam Gilchrist says, “I don’t think Australia will rest easy until Ben Stokes is out”.
Stokes and Jacks survive the first hour, and Australia isn’t quite resting easy, and they get through the second hour, and give England a lead, and thunderstorms are forecast, and Australia isn’t resting entirely easy – not the least because they’ve made the completely nonsensical decision to sack offspinner Nathan Lyon.
“They obviously won’t be thinking it out there, but we can think about it here,” ex-Australia captain Ricky Ponting says from his commentary bunker. “This would have been an ideal time for Nathan Lyon to come into the attack. We saw some turn and bounce yesterday from (England offspinner) Jacks. He’s got a very good record against Stokes as well, has Lyon. And you’ve got a few tailenders after this that I’m sure would go after the spinner.”
Lyon, “absolutely filthy” to be omitted from the XI, has dismissed Stokes a whopping nine times in Tests. His chances on Sunday are limited. You cannot bamboozle the England skipper with flight and bounce while you’re sitting on the bench with a sour look on thy face. It’s 25 minutes before tea when a patron at the Vulture Street end shouts, “Give Gazza (Lyon) a bowl!”
Hear, hear. Lyon has played 140 Tests and taken 562 wickets, and probably knows what he’s doing, but there’s a problem with the plan to give Gazza a bowl. These aren’t Gazza’s Ashes.
Starc has failed – miserably! – to make a breakthrough in his opening spell. At gully, with the wingspan of an albatross, and the height of the Tower of London, and the weight of the world and chief critic Dave Warner on his shoulders after a crazed dismissal in Australia’s first innings, Cam Green is warming up. All-rounders are meant to do a lot of bowling but Green has barely been sighted. Captain Steve Smith nods, takes Green’s cap. C’mon. Green is ineffective.
Australia’s first innings has resembled the numbers you may entrust to win you a million bucks at Keno at the Geebung RSL Club – 33, 72, 65, 61, 45, 63, 23, 16, 17, 21, 13 – and Smith takes a gamble on the part-time spin of Travis Head. If you have a dollar for every “I Love Head” T-shirt at the Gabba, you’ll be a rich human, and we shall leave it at that. Whenever Head bowls, the fine print is that Lyon is sorely missed. Head is ineffective.
If Starc doesn’t take consistent wickets for Australia, who does? He’s a one-man band with the ball. England adds 59 runs and loses no wickets in a commendable opening session of gritty cricket – Bazball be damned – after a night of scorching criticism from former English players.
To quote ex-skipper Nasser Hussain: “Out-bowled. Out-batted. Out-caught. Out-thought. I don’t know where you want to start, but completely and utterly outplayed from start to finish.”
To quote ex-paceman Stuart Broad: “It feels like England are playing at about 10 to 20 per cent of their potential. England look like they’re not sort of match sharp.”
To quote ex-speedster and fabled wide bowler Steve Harmison: “England will never, ever be a great team under (coach Brendon) McCullum and Stokes. England are going to lose the Ashes inside probably eight, nine days. Streetwise, game management, that’s where Australia is superior to England.”
The most impressive part of England’s Bazball approach is when it abandons Bazball. Stokes and Jacks are batting with lion-hearted patience and determination. It’s as entertaining as a bombardment of thunderclap sixes. Stokes makes a half-century – just. You cannot doubt his application in batting, bowling, fielding, leadership, desire. Jacks is so solid in compiling 41 from 92 balls that he looks more like a No. 3 than England’s No. 3 – only to fall to a screaming, diving, left-handed catch by Smith at first slip off Neser.
It feels like they’ve paid the price for a half-baked preparation. Still feels like they’re undercooked when it comes to match toughness and responsible plans. Still feels like their bowling and fielding is ordinary. Still feels like Starc’s Ashes.
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