This Thursday marks the First Test in the highly anticipated Ashes series between Australia and England. The first match of the series, as always, will be played at the Gabba on what promises to be a good all-round wicket.
There were concerns over the state of the wicket after, ironically, English pop star Adele’s concert back in March tore up the entire square. However, Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell has assured fans and players that a traditional, green, bouncy Gabba wicket is what we can expect heading into Thursday.
The squads for the match have been announced with the final teams still to be confirmed on game day and excitement levels are at an all time high after what seems like an eternity since these two great rivals faced off in a Test match. Aussie all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was a late inclusion into the Australian squad due to concerns over vice captain David Warner’s neck issues.
England will be without their star all-rounder Ben Stokes for the clash and have picked a squad that will be relying heavily on the few out and out star players they possess.
Australia will be looking to get off to a good start in the series as they so often have at the Gabba. They have not lost a Test there since 1988 and a big part of that is due to the consistency that the Gabba wicket usually shows. It offers batsmen consistent bounce and the ability to get in but also offers the fast bowlers plenty of pace, which is something that the Australian attack will revel.
Many Australian cricket experts have placed the fate of this Ashes series in the hands of the Aussie fast bowling attack, and I’m in agreeance with them. While in England its arguably better to be a swing bowler ala James Anderson, you’ll find no better place in the world to be a genuine fast bowler than Australia.
Mitch Johnson in particular was able to end careers last time the English toured Australia with Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann never being the same again. This time around, the Aussies have two bowlers who are just as fierce as Johnson in Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins.
TIP: Mitchell Starc man of the match - $7 at Ladbrokes
So much pressure relies on Joe Root to hold up the English batting line-up, but when he last toured Australia he was dropped for the final two Tests, albeit with the series already done and dusted. The Australian batsmen should have no such issues with the England bowling line-up who, while crafty, struggle to generate much pace.
It would take a very confident man to bet against the Aussies here, especially with the average lead up to the series the English have had and the absence of Ben Stokes. We think Australia win this Test comfortably and set the tone for a good series.
TIP: Australia to win - $2.50 at Ladbrokes (max $20)
TIP: Australia to win - $1.72 at Sportsbet
At 1pt per run, 10 pts per catch and 20 pts per wicket, we think the over under on player performance for Moeen Ali here is a bit low at 95.5. He generally picks up 3 or 4 wickets in a Test match and averages 35 with the bat which makes him a genuine all-rounder.
TIP: Moeen Ali over 95.5 player performance - $1.88 at Sportsbet
