The second Ashes test will get underway on Thursday, 4 December, and it’s one that England might not be particularly excited about.
After losing the first test in just two days, Ben Stokes and co won’t be overly enthralled about playing at the Gabba, a venue that no England side has won a test match at since 1986.
To make matters worse, the test is a day/night fixture with a pink ball, a stipulation that has favoured Australia massively over the past decade.
Despite all that, it isn’t all doom and gloom for England. Their bowling attack rattled Australia in Perth, and their batting can’t possibly get any worse, so on to Brisbane we go.
Ahead of day one getting underway on Thursday, check out our Ashes second test tips below.
Ashes second test tips: Our three picks
Travis Head under 32.5 runs in his first innings (5/6)
Travis Head is the talk of the cricketing world following his match-winning century during Australia’s second innings at Perth. However, something that not many people are talking about is the fact that his form suggests isn’t something we should expect to see happen again this week.
That century was his first in test cricket in almost a year, and when you consider Australia have played test matches against the West Indies and Sri Lanka in that time, it reflects poorly on the player.
In his ten innings prior to his match-winning knock in Perth, Head averaged just 28.3 with the bat, and on another bowler-friendly track at the Gabba, there is little reason to believe he won’t revert to this average in the first innings.
Both teams to bat on day one (5/6)
Pink ball tests are notoriously bowler-friendly at the best of times, but with these two teams, that discrepancy is going to be wider.
With Australia, it is a simple case of their bowling attack being far better than their batting lineup. Meanwhile, with England, it’s a case of their players being more reckless with bats in their hands than any other side in the world.
A total of 19 wickets fell on day one in Perth, and there is every chance of something similar happening in Brisbane.
Mitchell Starc top Australia bowler (7/4)
Mitchell Starc ripped through the England batsmen in Perth, and with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins both unlikely to play again here, the 35-year-old will lead the Aussie attack once again in Brisbane.
On any pitch, you’d fancy Starc to be Australia’s leading wicket-taker at the moment. However, in a pink ball test, the chances of him taking more wickets than anyone else with a baggy green cap rise considerably.
Starc has more wickets with the pink ball than any other player in the world (81), and he’s taken those wickets at an average of 17.08, which, to be frank, is ludicrously good. At 7/4 with Boylesports, this is a price far too generous to turn down.
Ashes second test tips: Summary
- Travis Head to score under 32.5 runs in the first innings – 5/6
- Both teams to bat on day one – 5/6
- Mitchell Starc top Australia bowler – 7/4
- Treble price – 9/1 @ BoyleSports
Andy is tipster who has been calling Golf tournaments for several years across many different platforms. He has covered all tournaments from the Asian Tour to the Masters. He’s also a keen football fan and is an expert on European football.
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- Source: https://mrfixitstips.co.uk/ashes-second-test-tips-england-to-fire-back-at-travis-head/
