AUSTRALIA VS. ENGLAND: ASHES 2021/22, 2nd TEST | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Hosts Australia take on arch-rivals England in the 2nd Test of The Ashes at the Adelaide Oval from Thursday afternoon.
Australia made an excellent start in this Ashes with clinical all-round performances from everyone and secured a 9-wicket victory to take a 1-0 lead in the series. They have an excellent record in Pink ball Tests as they are unbeaten in 8 Test matches. David Warner is fit, while captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will miss the 2nd Test.
On the other hand, England’s nightmare in Australia continued as they failed to tackle the swing and bounce at the Gabba, handing the hosts an easy win. Although skipper Root and Dawid Malan showed some resilience in the 2nd innings, a batting collapse gave Australia the advantage. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are expected to be back in the playing XI here.
Match Details
- Match: Australia vs. England, 2nd Test
- Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
- Date & Time: Dec. 16, 2021, at 9:30 AM IST/2.30 PM Local
Probable Playing XI
Australia
Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (C), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (WK), Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon
England
Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (C), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (WK), Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Stuart Broad
Weather Report
Adelaide is expected to have pleasant conditions on all days of the match, with cooler evenings. The temperature will be around 27 degrees during the game.
Pitch Report
The surface at the Adelaide Oval will assist the pacers throughout the Test match. The pink ball will swing and seam a lot more than the red one. However, it is a good pitch and batters can score big runs if they bide their time at the crease. The average first-innings score during the last five day/night Tests played on this ground was 347.
Toss
The afternoon start balances the toss advantage. The team that batted first on this surface have won 3 out of the last 5 day/night games. Both the captains will have this on their minds at the toss. A first-innings score of around 300 runs can be pretty competitive on this ground.
Top Fantasy Picks
Wicketkeeper
- Alex Carey was solid behind the stumps in the 1st Test. He took 8 catches behind the stumps, the most catches on debut by a wicketkeeper. With the bat, he just managed a score of 21 runs and will look for a bigger contribution on his home ground.
Batter
- Steve Smith failed to make use of the good batting conditions in the 1st Test, getting dismissed for just 12 runs. He remains one of the key batters in the Australian lineup. Smith has scored 3669 runs in 39 home Tests at an average of 66.7, including 14 centuries.
All-rounder
- Ben Stokes didn’t have the greatest of matches in the 1st Test. Making his comeback into the national team, he scored only 19 runs and went wicketless in his 12 overs. Expect a much improved performance from him in this Test.
Bowler
- Ollie Robinson has a solid start to his Test career, picking up 32 wickets in 6 Tests at an acreage of 19.37. He bowled impressively in the 1st Test and returned with figures of 4 for 71. Also, he is handy with the bat and has a best score of 42 runs.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: Alex Carey
- Batters: Steven Smith, Joe Root, Haseeb Hameed
- All-rounders: Travis Head, Ben Stokes, Marnus Labuschagne
- Bowlers: Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson
- Captain: Steven Smith/Jhye Richardson
- Vice Captain: Ollie Robinson/Joe Root
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your fantasy dream team and play all the upcoming matches of the Ashes. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
Download your favorite fantasy app and select your own team, Howzat!
