Ashes: Joe Root senses ‘great opportunity’ for England to end Gabba hoodoo

The
hostile
iconic
Brisbane
venue
has
been
such
a
fortress
for
Australia
that
you
have
to
go
back
to
November
1986
for
their
previous
Test
defeat
to
England
at
the
ground
where
the
2021-22
series
starts
on
Wednesday
(December
8).

Yet
India
consigned
Australia
to
a
first
Gabba
loss
in
the
longest
format
for
over
32
years
in
January
and
England
captain
Joe
Root
is
backing
his
side
to
end
the
hoodoo,
despite
a
lack
of
match
practice
due
to
rain.

The
world’s
number
one
Test
batter
said:
“[Victory]
would
absolutely
set
us
up
for
the
rest
of
the
series
and
it’s
a
great
opportunity.

“This
group
of
players,
not
that
long
ago,
went
to
Cape
Town
where
we’ve
not
won
a
Test
for
a
long
period
of
time
and
off
the
back
of
a
performance
there
won
the
series.

“I
feel
like
we
have
been
able
to
do
that
around
the
world
and
this
is
an
opportunity
to
do
that
here.
Obviously
conditions
are
slightly
different
to
home,
at
this
venue
in
particular
with
that
extra
bit
of
bounce,
but
we
have
prepared
as
well
as
we
can
for
that.
If
we
manage
that
well
we
should
give
a
really
good
account
of
ourselves
and
start
well.”

Ben
Stokes’ return
gives
England
a
massive
lift
as
they
attempt
to
wrestle
back
the
urn,
though
they
won’t
have
the
usual
level
of
backing
from
the
Barmy
Army
as
usual
due
to
coronavirus
travel
restrictions.

The
tourists
were
thrashed
4-0
in
their
last
Ashes
series
Down
Under
in
2017-18
after
the
humiliation
of
a
2013-14
whitewash,
so
it
is
almost
10
years
since
their
last
Test
win
in
Australia.

Stats
Perform
looks
at
some
of
the
key
factors
that
will
decide
whether
they
can
make
it
a
miserable
start
to
Pat
Cummins’
reign
as
Australia
Test
captain.

Stoking
the
fires

Stokes
has
not
played
for
his
country
since
July,
but
declared
himself
fit
to
face
Australia
after
taking
a
break
to
prioritise
his
mental
well-being
and
fully
recover
from
a
fractured
finger.

The
all-rounder
was
England’s
player
of
the
series
in
an
Ashes
series
two
years
ago
that
ended
in
a
2-2
draw,
scoring
441
runs
at
an
average
of
55.12
and
producing
one
of
the
great
innings
at
Headingley
to
pull
off
an
unlikely
victory.

Vice-captain
Stokes’
return
should
add
strength
to
the
middle
order
they
have
been
lacking
and
Root
will
be
hoping
he
can
do
some
damage
in
short,
sharp
bursts
with
the
ball.

Root
must
keep
racking
up
the
runs

It
has
been
an
incredible
2021
for
Root,
who
has
scored
six
Test
centuries
–
including
one
double-hundred
in
Sri
Lanka
and
another
in
India.

The
skipper
said
this
tour
will
define
his
captaincy
and
England
will
need
him
to
keep
racking
up
the
runs
if
they
are
to
return
home
with
a
surprise
series
win.

Only
five
batsmen
have
scored
more
Test
centuries
in
a
year
than
Root’s
tally,
with
Mohammad
Yousuf
holding
the
record
with
a
staggering
nine
in
2006.

Lack
of
pace
potency?

Not
for
the
first
time
in
Ashes,
a
lack
of
pace
could
be
a
big
issue
for
England
and
how
they
would
love
to
have
a
fit
Jofra
Archer
firing.

Australian
Troy
Cooley
was
brought
into
the
touring
party
as
a
consultant
pace
bowling
coach
and
there
is
no
doubting
the
quality
in
the
England
attack,
led
by
James
Anderson
and
Stuart
Broad.

Broad
tormented
Warner
in
the
2019
series,
but
the
opener
could
be
much
more
difficult
to
dismiss
on
home
soil
with
a
Kookaburra
ball
and
returned
to
form
in
Australia’s
recent
T20
World
Cup
triumph.

Mark
Wood
is
capable
of
doing
damage
but
it
remains
to
be
seen
how
many
Tests
the
injury-prone
quick
can
play.
Ollie
Robinson
could
make
a
big
impact
in
his
first
Ashes
series
and
Chris
Woakes
can
hit
the
sort
of
lengths
to
trouble
batters
in
Australia.