Spinning England all-rounder Will Jacks has been selected to replace injured fast bowler Mark Wood – who is out with a knee injury – ahead of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.
With Australia up 1-0 in the series after a dominant display in Perth, Jacks will be looking to add some stability in England’s batting line-up, as well as potentially offering captain Ben Stokes some variety in his bowling options.
The second Test will be a day-night match-up between the old foes, therefore, the more the Test progresses there may be something in the conditions for both sides’ spinners to make use of.
Batting struggles
England experienced an astronomical batting collapse in the first Test – falling to Australia’s experienced frontline bowling attack within two days.
This included veteran pace bowler Mitchell Starc, who took 10 wickets across Australia’s two bowling innings.
The selection of Jacks pushes England’s batting order to eight at the least, with his inclusion indicative of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum’s focus on extending their batting innings to a more defendable total.
Although inexperienced in Test matches, having played only two thus far, Jacks has the ability to change the fortunes for England later in the Test, as he has shown in other formats.
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Spinning crucial
Stokes commented previously on the tactical importance of having a reliable spinner in games of this magnitude.
“(You can see) how they use their spinner [Nathan Lyon] as an attacking option or to give the bowlers an easier rotation and to get through the overs quicker to have more time with the new ball under lights,” the England captain said on Sky Sports.
Batter Ollie Pope elaborated on this.
“Everyone knows what a brilliant cricketer he is,” Pope said, referring to Jacks. “The way he’s grown over the last few years, we’ve seen his white-ball game really go forward.
“It’s a great opportunity for his red-ball game, too.
“He’s got that style of spin bowling where he can get some bounce and turn off the pitch, then everyone has seen the skills he’s got in the white-ball format. He can take on a really good attack.”
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Optimism remains
“They (the fans) want to see us win, we want to win, we’re absolutely desperate,” Stokes said ahead of the second Test. “They’re absolutely desperate. We’re all on the same wavelength.
“We know that there’ll be a lot of disappointed fans in England after that first defeat. But it’s a five-game series, we’ve got four games to go.
“We’ve lost the first one – we’re absolutely desperate to come home with that goal from before we even started the series, which is to win the Ashes.”
The second Test gets underway from Thursday, December 4 to Monday, December 8 at the Gabba in Brisbane.
England side for second Ashes Test
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
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