2025-26 Ashes

I know, but he was dropped earlier this year after a terrible run of form.

The DRS decision was correct. There is a lag between the visual frames and the sound, the DRS operators and third umpires are trained on this. The video technology hasn't caught up with the audio - the broadcast framerate is about 30 frames per second, which is not fast enough. The big question is why Cricket Australia didn't insist on Ultraedge being used in this series.

The bowlers were exhausted from the first innings, significantly slower second time around. The English batters let them down by not batting for at least three sessions.

Josh Hazlewood likely to miss the whole series. Unlikely on the evidence of the first game to be too costly to Australia. I wonder how much longer we'll see him in whites with how injury prone he is now and with him being one of the best T20 bowlers going, he might have no choice but to focus on that.

Day / night pink ball test next up.

ominous for England. Starc statistically is the best test pink ball bowler in the world..his teammates close behind and he’s on form generally too. Last 10 years Australia have played significantly more day night tests than any other country.

Reading about Starc…14 pink ball tests for the Aussies. Has taken 81 wickets at an average of 17.08, has an economy rate of 3.07, and a strike rate of 33.3 with the pink ball in tests.

Play starts at 4am our time… 🤦🏻‍♂️ . Don’t know why the English didn’t object… they’ll probably wish they did if Starc ends up with a bag full of wickets and they are two down in the series, which is a possible scenario and one they are unlikely to come back from. I know Australia are at home but there are two teams, two sets of fans…the majority of English fans at home too will probably miss seeing most of it. Think the ECB would have been well within the remit to say “ nahhh, please just play day games, follow tradition, easier for fans and cricket lovers to watch “.. You won’t have many fans this side of the world with say a 9-5 job or in college getting up to watch at 4… bit poxy….

Australia go with the same squad again so still no Pat Cummins. Everyone that saw him bowl in the nets said he looked good enough to play in Perth so either they're being extra cautious or he's felt something since.

Khawaja will be lucky to start after what Head did although they might see him as someone capable of surviving the difficult period in day nighters and keep Head back for the old ball. His home ground too, wouldn't be a shock if he called it a day if it goes poorly for him again.

Mark wood injured again, will miss the 2nd test