Second Ashes Test preview: England v Australia - prediction, stars to watch and suggested bets
- Planet Sport writer
- 27 June 2023
Jason Harrison previews the second Ashes Test as Australia look to go two-nil up and England attempt to stay in contention for a series win.
Who, when, where
England v Australia, Wednesday 28 June to Sunday 2 July, Lord's
Talking points
A win will not necessarily seal Australia's retention of the Ashes on away soil, but it would certainly mean they have one foot in the door - and would leave England needing three consecutive wins to prevent that from happening.
On the question of whether to stick or twist with the current 'Bazball' philosophy after a close loss in the first Test, the English will be looking to not only persist with the approach but go even harder the second time around.
Historically, Lord's has been a happy hunting ground for Australia with England only winning seven matches and Australia winning 15 in all Ashes Tests at the venue, with 15 draws included in that tally.
The battle of Test cricket styles will be put to the test once again as England will likely play in a relatively flamboyant fashion and Australia will look to win it the old-fashioned way.
Stuart Broad will attempt to prolong David Warner's pain of recent struggles against the English quick bowler from around the wicket.
Head-to-head
Australia have won four of their last five Tests against England, with one draw.
Stars to watch
Ollie Pope will be hoping to find his flow which saw him score a massive double-century against Ireland on the same ground earlier this month.
Don't be surprised if Josh Tongue gets the nod at Lord's, perhaps ahead of Moeen Ali. There have been plenty of calls for England to add more pace to their bowling attack. Tongue's inclusion would certainly do that.
Australia should take a punt on bringing back Mitchell Starc in the place of Josh Hazlewood. Starc will add variety to a fast-bowling attack which currently consists of four right-arm bowlers. The addition of the left-arm quick would also extend the Aussies' batting line-up.
Travis Head will want to continue his decent patch of form continuing by being aggressive and taking the game to the English.
Who will win the second Ashes Test?
Things look even in the batting and fast-bowling departments. The key difference could come down to the quality of spinners, especially going into days four and five (assuming we get that far). With Ali out, Australia have the edge with Nathan Lyon.
Overall, it's difficult to look past the current World Test champions, Australia, who will be filled with confidence after the win at Edgbaston.
Jason Harrison
