The Daily Telegraph - 01.08.2019

Peter Siddle's

accuracy makes him

difficult to face in

English conditions;

54 per cent of his

deliveries in his

Test career have

been in the channel

outside off stump.

Since 2018, he

averages 17.6, with

76 wickets in 17

first-class matches,

in England.

Peter Siddle

Peter Siddles

accuracy makes him

difficult to face in

English conditions;

5 4 per cent of his

deliveries in his

Test career have

been in the channel

outside off stump.

Since 2018, he

averages 17.6, with

76 wickets in 17

first-class matches,

in England.

Mitchell Starc

Josh Hazlewood

Pat Cummins

James Pattinson

Peter Siddle

0.9°

0.97°

A few days ago, Australia’s head

coach Justin Langer compared

Siddle to the Australian fast bowler

who took more wickets than

anyone else. “He’s a bit like Glenn

McGrath, a shorter version of him,”

Langer said. “He bowls well here,

he hits the top of off stump all the

time, he tests technique all the

time. He’s got good endurance.”

Australia may also be inclined to

a more contemporary comparison:

Tim Murtagh. Bowling for Ireland

against England in the Lord’s Test,

Murtagh showed how seam and

swing, allied to unyielding

accuracy, can expose the many

frailties in England’s batting. Siddle

has all of Murtagh’s qualities – and

close to another 10mph of pace.

Australia’s use of Siddle seems

designed to avoid repeating the

mistakes of 2015. Then, he was

omitted in favour of faster and

more glamorous options until the

Ashes had already been given up.

He exposed the folly of that

decision by taking six for 67 in the

match to drive Australia’s

consolation victory at the Oval.

Even when added together with

Nathan Lyon’s 343 Test wickets, it

is not quite the most imposing

Australian attack England have

faced since the days of McGrath

and Shane Warne. That honour

still belongs to the 2013-14

Australians, who had Ryan Harris

and Mitchell Johnson at their

peaks, augmented by Siddle and

Lyon. They had another crucial

advantage over this attack, too: in

Watson, an exemplary fifth bowler

to share the workload.

In lieu of a genuine fifth bowler,

Australia will go all in on their

main quartet. That, combined with

the remorseless schedule and the

recent injury records of some of

the attack, explains why Lyon may

be the only Australian bowler to

play in every Test.

The rest of the attack will be

shuffled depending on who is the

most suitable for any given Test: so

Starc, for instance, is very likely to

play at Lord’s regardless of what

unfolds at Edgbaston. Australia

know that if they are to win their

first Ashes series in England since

2001 it will need to be a collective

triumph.

Cummins is a

smart bowler

now. He has

learnt to be

explosive when

he needs to but

he has got great

control and can

also move and

swing the ball at

pace, so he will

do well here.

In outstanding

form for Durham.

He started the

season batting at

three and then it

was decided to

put him into his

more traditional

opening role and

has found some

form and

played well. Bowler

PAT

CUMMINS, 26

Batsman

CAMERON

BANCROFT, 26

Batsman

TRAVIS

HEAD, 25

Bowler

JOSH

HAZLEWOOD,

28

Keeper

He has done an

extremely good

job during the

most difficult

time in Australian

cricket history.

His leadership

has been

excellent, and he

is a very naturally

talented keeper

• but the main
  question is, does
  he make enough
  runs? Captain for
  this series but
  moving forward,
  his role will come
  under more and
  more scrutiny.

Scored runs in

Australia’s last

Test, against Sri

Lanka. Captains

his state. The

Ashes tests

character under

pressure and

Head, who is

mature but

young, will be

important.

Raring to go.

Injured towards

the end of the

Australian

summer and

missed out on

the World Cup. It

obviously hurt.

An outstanding

bowler and suited

to English

conditions.

He has made

1,100 runs for

Glamorgan and

was in the last

Test team for

Australia.

Another who fits

really well, but

pushing for a

position in which

there is a lot of

competition.

Had a strategic

lead into this

Ashes series, in

state and then

county cricket.

Has suffered lots

of injuries, but

has had a good

stint with Notts.

If he is fit, he

could play a

big part.

Another bowler

who has had a

strategic lead

into this series,

playing county

cricket for

Essex. Brings

maturity to the

bowling line-up.

Has key

experience in

England.

Key to Australia

performing well.

While Warner

made more of a

visible impact in

the World Cup,

Smith brings

control and

authority to the

middle order.

Gives stability

and strength.

This is a

matchup that

Australia win.

Lyon is world

class. He is

Australia’s

best-ever finger

spinner, the

GOAT, and is

going to be vital,

whether it is day

one or five.

Harris had a

breakthrough

summer last year

after a couple of

prolific innings at

state level. Has

matured into an

international-

quality opener.

Held his own in

difficult series

against India.

Batsman

MARNUS

LABUSCHANGE

25

Bowler

JA ME S

PAT T I N S O N , 2 9

Bowler

PETER

SIDDLE, 34

Batsman

STEVE

SMITH, 30

Bowler

NATHAN

LYON, 31

Batsman

MARCUS

HARRIS, 27

All-rounder

MITCHELL

MARSH, 27

Bowler

MITCHELL

STARC, 29

Keeper-batsman

MATTHEW

WA D E , 3 1

Batsman

DAV ID

WA R N E R , 3 2

All-rounder

MICHAEL

NESER, 29

Batsman

USMAN

KHAWAJA, 32

Such a talented

all-rounder I still

wonder why he

still has not quite

cracked Test

cricket. We have

seen the odd

glimpse in the

odd series, but

his consistency

has been below

Test standard.

Had an “off ”

series against

India as his

pace went down

and he lost

confidence. Now

back and bowling

fast and was

excellent in the

World Cup.

Dangerous for

England.

Has made runs

virtually every

time he has gone

out to bat over

the past 12

months. We all

thought his time

in international

cricket had gone,

but it is hard to

ignore what he

has done.

We have seen the

impact of Warner

and Smith’s

batting during

the World Cup.

Already proven at

Test level. Two

left-handed

openers is not a

concern with the

class they have at

the top.

More of a bowling

all-rounder than

Mitchell Marsh,

who is a batting

all-rounder. With

the seamers

available, he

might have some

difficulty in

challenging for a

place in the Test

line-up.

In a position

which is always

open for debate.

He is a class

player; his form

over the past

couple of years

has been good.

His style will be a

good option

in English

conditions.

Insider’s guide

to the Australia

dressing room

By Marcus North, former Test batsman

TIM PAINE, 34

n e y s r e

m

Aus

Lyo

clas

Aus

bes

spi

GO

goi

wh

one

N

AINE, 34

The Daily Telegraph Thursday 1 August 2019 *** 9
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