England plan extra training before second Test

Following their humiliating defeat in the opening Ashes Test, England have scheduled additional training camps in Brisbane.

The tourists’ two days in Perth were beaten by Australia, so they have now planned five days of preparation for the day-night Test at the Gabba, which will start on Thursday.

The decision of England to ignore any team from the first Test who will play for the England Lions in a Canberra game this weekend has drawn a lot of scrutiny.

The preparation for a Test typically lasts two or three days. Under Stokes and McCullum, the only times during the training period were pre-tour camps, such as those made before trips to India and Pakistan.

Brisbane’s original plan was to spend three days training at the Gabba starting on Monday. They have now scheduled an additional session for Saturday at Allan Border Field and Sunday at the ground.

Monday and Wednesday will be under floodlights during one of England’s training sessions.

On Wednesday, England boarded a flight from Perth to Brisbane, where they can unwind before training resumes on Saturday.

The Lions’ two-day pink-ball match against the Prime Minister’s XI, which England won, was the subject of the debate over their decision to ignore the Lions’ two-day absence from the first Test and the second Test’s day-night slog.

In Perth, England faced their second defeat in a losing effort since 1904, when they were bowled out twice in 67. 3 overs.

The visitors have lost three of their previous seven day-night tests, including three in Australia, and have a poor record there.

13 of their 14 pink-ball matches have been won by the home team. Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson, two of England’s likely starting XI in Brisbane, have never before played first-class pink-ball.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan referred to the decision as “nonsense,” while former BBC cricket commentator and chief cricketer Jonathan Agnew described it as “bizarre.”

Josh Tongue, Matthew Potts, and Jacob Bethell, three Ashes players who did not participate in the first Test, were included in the Canberra game.

The differences between Canberra and Brisbane are a part of England’s justification for not deploying the first-test XI to the capital.

In contrast to the Gabba’s speed and bounce, the pitch at Manuka Oval is likely to be slow and low. As of the day England arrived in Brisbane, the city’s temperature was forecast to reach 36C, compared to 24C in Canberra.

England almost certainly needs to win the Ashes for the first time since 2015 from a 1-0 deficit in Brisbane. Since 1986, they haven’t won a Test at Gabba.

In Brisbane in January 2024, Australia’s only defeat in a day-night test was a stunning eight-run victory for the West Indies.

Before the weekend, the home side is expected to announce their squad for the second Test.

As part of his recovery from a back injury, Captain Pat Cummins might miss the first Test. In Sydney, he has a pink ball for bowling.

Josh Hazlewood, a fellow pace bowler, has also been training, but he is not expected to start in Brisbane.

In place of off-spinner Nathan Lyon, Cummins would take Steve Smith’s command of the team and create an all-pace attack. If Lyon is chosen, Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland would have to decide.

Usman Khawaja, who suffered back spasms in Perth and was unable to start the batting, should also be in the spotlight. In the second innings, Travis Head replaced Khawaja and defeated Australia in a one-time record-breaking Ashes score.

If Khawaja is left out, Josh Inglis, who was the starting pitcher for the first Test and scored 100 for Cricket Australia against the England Lions on Monday, could benefit.

The International Cricket Council has rated the Perth pitch, which hosted the first Test, as “very good.”

“Good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers,” is the definition of a very good pitch.