Ashes 2023: Decoding the key player battles
England and Australia will be vying against each other for a grueling five-match Test series, starting at Edgbaston on June 16. England will be keen to reclaim The Ashes and stop the Australian domination. Under Ben Stokes's captaincy and Brendon McCullum's coaching, England have been solid with their new aggressive batting. Australia will be wary of the threat. We present the player battles.
Pat Cummins vs England openers
Australian skipper Pat Cummins will be probing in the right channels with the new ball. He has a stern test on offer against the England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. These two have so far garnered 605 opening partnership runs at a stellar average of 55 under Stokes-McCullum. As per ESPNcricinfo, Cummins has dismissed openers 58 times across 86 innings in Tests.
Nathan Lyon vs Joe Root
Nathan Lyon showed his brilliance in the World Test Championship final against India a The Oval, claiming a match-winning four-fer in the second innings. Lyon has enjoyed a lot of success against England's talisman Joe Root, dismissing him on seven occasions. Meanwhile, Root, who is a solid player against spin, has scored 388 runs from 738 balls, averaging 55.42 against the off-spinner.
James Anderson vs Steve Smith
England's leading pacer James Anderson is still going strong at 40 years. Anderson will rely on seam movement and try to get someone like Steve Smith early on. Across 36 innings, the right-arm pacer has dismissed Smith on eight counts. Smith has meanwhile scored 402 runs at 50.25 against Anderson. He has a strike rate of 41.61 and has played 776 dot balls.
Stuart Broad vs David Warner
Stuart Broad has enjoyed bowling to Australian opener David Warner, having had the edge over the southpaw. Broad is a key asset for the hosts and he will be raring to have a crack at Warner, who hasn't been at his sublime best of late. Across 45 innings, Broad has dismissed Warner on 14 counts. Warner averages a sorry 27.78 versus the right-arm pacer.
