Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad has stated that the second Ashes Test, starting next Thursday, will be unpredictable, with the toss playing a crucial role in Brisbane due to the pink ball.
Australia
has won 13 out of their 14 day-night Tests, with their only loss occurring at the Gabba last year against the West Indies.
England has won just two out of their seven pink-ball matches, losing all three in Australia: a 120-run defeat in Adelaide in 2017, and 275-run and 146-run defeats in Adelaide and Hobart in 2021.
England have not won an Ashes series in Australia after losing the first Test since the 1950s.
‘Important To Bat First’
“We know the pink-ball Test, having played a few ourselves, is a bit of a lottery,” Broad, who has played in all of England’s pink-ball Tests so far, said on For The Love of Cricket podcast.
“It is all about timing a little bit of when you bowl with the brand new ball.
“Winning the toss and batting is pretty crucial in the pink-ball Test in my opinion.”
Australia won the first Test by eight wickets after England’s batting collapsed twice in Perth, with Mitchell Starc taking 10 wickets in the match.
The fast bowler, who is the leading wicket-taker in pink-ball tests with 81 wickets, could once again pose a threat to the visitors’ batting line-up.
“That’s why I think it is quite important to bat first because even if you are bowled out by tea when it’s starting to go dark, you have a brand new ball under lights,” Broad said.
“And if you bat well you can control when you bowl in the game and in the day.”
Australia, leading the series 1-0, will again be captained by stand-in skipper Steve Smith, as Pat Cummins and fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood are ruled out due to injuries.
(With inputs from Agencies)
