All-out pace shelved as Jacks replaces injured Wood
England have recalled all-rounder Will Jacks for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, moving away from the full-throttle pace strategy they used in the series opener in Perth. Jacks comes in for the injured Mark Wood in the only change to the XI that lost the first Test, and will play his third Test – his first in almost three years – when the day-night match begins at the Gabba on Thursday.
The tourists had ripped through Australia for 132 in their first innings in Perth with a barrage of fast bowling, only to be hammered by Travis Head in the second. Now they are looking for a better balance: bolstering the batting and adding a spin option in conditions that can change sharply under lights.
Recent pink-ball data has heavily influenced the call, including the way Nathan Lyon has shaped day-night Tests for Australia and Kevin Sinclair’s impact for West Indies when they became the first side to beat Australia in a floodlit Test at the Gabba last year.
Although Shoaib Bashir is regarded as England’s frontline spinner and has featured regularly since Jacks last played, Jacks offers more with the bat and is considered a safer pair of hands in the field. With his inclusion, Jofra Archer remains the only player in the side yet to score a first-class century.
Stokes braced for a tactical test under lights
England finalised their selection after their first proper pink-ball session under floodlights on Monday night, quickly noticing how early darkness falls in Brisbane. A 6.30pm sunset on Tuesday was more than an hour earlier than in Adelaide, the usual venue for Australia’s day-night fixtures, meaning longer stretches under artificial light.
“You sort of feel like there’s more time under ‘false light’ than maybe other places where you play day-night cricket,” captain Ben Stokes said. He has already admitted there were spells in the first Test where he “could have been a lot better as captain”, and expects an even sterner examination of his leadership at the Gabba.
“There’s so many more tactical decisions that go into day-night cricket than a normal Test match,” he explained. “It’s commonly known that the ball is at its peak of difficulty when those lights do come on, so you have to think a lot more tactically when you make decisions. And the night period when the lights are on, there’s a lot more to think about. It’s just a completely different thing to think about as a captain.”
The Queensland climate has also been factored in. Temperatures around 28°C may seem manageable, but the humidity is expected to be draining. “You step out in the sunlight and just start sweating,” Stokes said. Keeping the pink Kookaburra dry has been a big talking point in the dressing room, with the captain warning that a soft ball will make breakthroughs much harder. England’s liaison officers have even been dispatched to buy around 60 sweatbands for the squad to help minimise moisture on the ball.
England determined to enjoy tour despite media glare
Off the field, England have again found themselves splashed across Australian front pages after several players were photographed riding electric scooters without helmets, in breach of Queensland rules. The episode has not changed their willingness to get out and about, though.
“It’s not unexpected,” Stokes said of the constant attention. “We felt it when we got here, there were cameras in front of the hotel from 8am, following us on the golf course, and even when we went out for some lunch. They’re just there. I don’t know what the reason is for that.
“If they think it is going to stop us enjoying this country when we have time off, it is not going to do that. Australia is the best country to tour, there are so many things to do. One of the important things on tour when under pressure is to go out, free your mind, enjoy yourself… We are human. We need to enjoy countries when we get the opportunity because we live in England where it is miserable, freezing cold and dark at 4pm.”
Vice-captain Ollie Pope echoed the sentiment, saying he was “very aware” of the scrutiny in the days after the defeat in Perth, particularly when players were simply trying to switch off. For him, retreating into hotel rooms after a bad loss is the worst possible response.
“If we lose a game like we did and everyone’s gutted, locking your doors and not coming out of your room is the unhealthy thing to do, as we saw in Covid times,” Pope said. “Whatever you’re doing in your off time, just taking your mind away from cricket, I think that’s really important. If they want to catch us doing that then so be it.”
With Jacks back in the side, a fresh tactical plan for the pink ball, and the determination to stay relaxed off the field, England now head to the Gabba knowing they must get the result to keep the Ashes alive.
