The Ashes: Mark Wood & Josh Hazlewood news enhance England’s chances
It’s a sunny Saturday morning in Perth’s picturesque Lilac Hill, in anticipation of bad news.
There was even advance warning that an announcement would be made regarding England’s Mark Wood; this was not usually a sign of optimism.
Bad news was to come, but not from the England side of the Ashes region. Exactly 86 minutes after Wood was cleared due to concerns over a hamstring injury, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of Friday’s first Test with his own hammy. Hazlewood was injured, Wood hamstrong.
The shockwave went around the white fences of Lilac Hill, rendering the action on the field of England’s warm-up match against the England Lions inconsequential compared to the movement of hamstring crawlers in various parts of Australia.
Hazlewood joins captain Pat Cummins on the sidelines, two-thirds of the way ahead of Australia’s big three in the series opener at Optus Stadium.
Before you hand it over to Ben Stokes, remember that Hazlewood missed four Tests in the last Ashes played in this country in 2021-22. Cummins also missed one. Australia won 4-0.
Played without Cummins and Hazlewood in the playing XI, the Australians have not lost in home tests for 13 years.
Still, this isn’t the Australia of four years ago. The home side, who are older and have questions about the makeup of their team, will find it difficult to accept the absence of two thoroughbred fast bowlers. Australia could field any of around six different XIs, none of which look entirely satisfactory.
This is an extremely good opportunity that England cannot afford to miss.
This doesn’t mean Australia is suddenly up for grabs. The home team remains the favorite because they have very good cricketers and do not lose at home very often.
And with 13 defeats and two draws in 15 Tests since 2010-11 a low bar to success, it’s not much of a leap to say this is England’s best chance of winning the trophy in Australia in 14 years.
To win back the Ashes, England have no choice but to start well. Reversing momentum is rare in Australia, so a 2023-style comeback is much more difficult. The second Test is a day-night test and the Australians, led by pink-ball prodigy Mitchell Starc, almost never lose under the floodlights.
Considering they are run out, imagine the boost Australia would gain by winning the first Test, especially with skipper Cummins on track to return for the second. Consider England’s foreboding if they were to lose.
