The Ashes 1st Test, 16th June
The first Test of the 2023 Ashes series kicks off this Friday with the power-packed and hungry English side hosting the in-form Australians at Edgbaston.
Bet Nation looks at both sides and how they’re shaping up ahead of the most intriguing series on the calendar.
Australia vs. England
Friday 16th
It bodes as one of the most exciting Ashes series in recent memory. The Australians, who have won three of the past five series and drew 2-2 in England (2019), will enter as slight favourites in the market for the opener after taking out the ICC World Test Championship final against India just last week.
It was the ideal preparation for Andrew McDonald and Pat Cummins’ number one-ranked team, with centuries to Travis Head and Steve Smith resulting in a 209-run win in English conditions at The Oval.
The biggest selection issue for the Australians is their four-man pace attack, with Josh Hazelwood fit to play after missing the Test Championship. Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc and Hazelwood will need to be squeezed into two spots, with Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon automatic selections. Boland was outstanding against the Indians with five wickets but has not yet been picked in a full-strength Australian attack despite averaging 14.57 with the ball.
The selection of the bowling cartel is as important as it’s ever been since England’s adoption of a fiercely attacking style of batting. Brendan McCullum and Ben Stokes have promised to continue the team’s ‘Bazball’ phenomenon that has resulted in 11 wins from their last 13 Tests.
However, Bazball is yet to encounter a pace attack like the Australians’, with the relentless discipline of Cummins, Hazelwood, Boland and Cameron Green sure to wreak havoc at times throughout the series. During these periods, the Aussie batsmen will look to grind England’s bowlers into the ground to ensure they receive limited rest time.
Talented young English batsmen Harry Brook, Ollie Pope, and Zak Crawley will rely heavily on the experience of Stokes and Joe Root as they attempt to navigate the most intense Test series of their lives.
With so much pressure on both sides in the first Test and the tourists entering the game with a win on English soil under their belts, it’s hard to go past the Australians. Expect a big first-up showing from Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
