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Test finely balanced after bowling carnage
- England aggression costs them
- But tyro pace attack keeps them keen
- Root second dig win rate makes him a bet
- Don't miss our dedicated Ashes section HERE
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Australia v England
Saturday 22 November, 02.20
TV: Live on TNT
First Test, Day One Verdict: Intense England trading at 1.584/7 favourites
Has the dye been cast in this series? Before a ball had been bowled for this eagerly-anticapted contest there was a suspicion that two fragile batting units would make for a chaotic and compelling contest.
After just one day, the heat of the Ashes has reached boiling point and it appears that we are set for a thriller. One which favouritism in-play in Tests will flip and flop to a trader's delight.
England roared back from double figure odds. They had been razed for just 172 on a pitch which looked pretty good for batting. Brainless play from batters obsessed with sticking it to the hosts to blame. Just a modicum of application would have resulted in a solid score.
Yet they always give a team a chance. And they so often come back from the doldrums. After reducing Australia to 123 for nine, they ended the day as 1.584/7 favourites with Australia 2.767/4.
The bowlers will take the plaudits. Mitchell Starc bowled with beauty and menace to bust 100 Ashes wickets and record his best figures against the old enemy. But he did all the work himself.
England, by contrast, hunted in a pack. The data boffins confirmed, with the help of the speed gun, that this was the fastest bowling performance ever by England. The intensity was extraordinary.
Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse never let up. Rarely did they miss their length. And then Ben Stokes joined in late on the day just to remind Australia that there is no weakness.
As good as it was for England, one has to question for how long they can keep it up. Not in the context of the match but the series. Will they still be able to do it on day three, say, in Adelaide?
Australia have major worries
Australia will no doubt be bullish about rolling England. Same old story they might say. And that, of course, is true. But they shouldn't get too cocky because there are signs of significant weakness in their batting which should ensure this series goes to the wire.
As stated before in our series preview, what is true at the start of the series may not be true at the end. On the evidence of day one Australia could have team churn.
It would be a surprise if Jake Weatherald was to survive. He faced only two balls and looked way out his depth. Usman Khawaja's collapse against pace contunued and he looked like a veteran ready for the retirement home. It could be a sorry and sad story to watch him struggle on.
So Australia may need two new openers. Scott Boland's economy rate was also a major concern. England's batter love getting stuck into him. With Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins still to return and rumours of Mitch Marsh coming back in for the bat, the hosts could look like a very different team come the fifth Test.
First Test Day One Tip: Joe Root top England second-innings runscorer 10/34.33
We didn't expect to be rolling out this tip at the end of day one after England won the toss and chose to bat. But England will be required to knuckle down and do the hard yards second time around, regadless of the match situation. There is no-one better than Joe Root.
The No 2 Test runscorer of all time was a little unfortunate to get the one ripper that the Aussies delivered at the Optus. looking at the way his team-mates got out, chucking their wickets away when there were few discernible demons in the oppostion or surface should offer succour for our wager.
In the last two years Root has a 30% win rate in the second innings, as opposed to his rate of 20% in the first. Harry Brook, the market favourite, has one win in 18.
Root, and England, will hope for a repeat of last summer's Perth pitch when India were rolled for 150, hit back and then amassed 487 for six to go on to win the game. We will be keeping an eye on shorting Ollie pope in-play when, or if, he gets to ten-odd. There is a big drop off in his performances in the second dig.
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