Ashes 2017: England’s batsmen warned that Australia will attack with ‘bouncer barrage’

Bangladeshi cricketer Imrul Kayes tries to avoid a bouncer form Australian player Pat Cummins
AFP/Getty Images
Chris Stocks12 October 2017

Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has told England’s batsmen to prepare for a barrage of short-pitched bowling when the Ashes series begins next month.

The 24-year-old was brought home early from his country’s current limited-overs tour of India to prepare for the Ashes series, which begins in Brisbane on November 23.

Australia will not be able to field their ‘Fab Four’ pace attack against England given James Pattinson has been ruled out of the series with a back injury.

But in Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood they still have three bowlers capable of reaching speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour.

This will present England’s vulnerable batting line-up with a huge examination of their skill, technique and temperament on Australia’s fast and bouncy pitches.

“Hope you practice your bouncers because we’ll be bowling a lot of them,” Cummins warned captain Joe Root’s team.

“No one really likes it if you’ve got real pace and real accuracy.

“They play on slower wickets, not as much bounce, so over here it’s one of our biggest strengths.

“We grow up on these wickets and as bowlers getting bounce has always been really important.

“I think we’re lucky that there’s a few of us who are all pretty tall and get a bit of bounce and like to bowl with a bit of pace.

“Hopefully the wickets have a bit of pace and bounce in them, there’s nothing like getting your adrenalin up and then running in trying to bowl short.”

Cummins of Australia celebrates after taking the wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh​ Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Of England’s batsmen, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow have had trouble playing the short ball in the past. Both, though, have improved significantly over the past two years and this summer coped well with South Africa fast bowlers Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada.

Moeen, expected to move up the order to No7 in the absence of Ben Stokes, is well aware of the anticipated bouncer barrage that awaits him in Australia, saying last month: “It’s something I’ve been working on and I’m looking forward to it.

“The good thing is I’ve played against them before and I don’t want to speak too early or too confident but I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.

“Hopefully they’ll get tired doing it [bowling bouncers].

“But you get chances to score all the time with the short stuff and I’m going to work hard on that. I am very excited about it.”

One man who is probably less enthused about the prospect of facing short-pitched bowling in Australia is Stuart Broad, who admitted to having “nightmares” after being hit on the grille by a bouncer from India’s Varun Aaron in a Test at Old Trafford in 2014. Broad, who scored a Test century against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010, once had pretensions of being a genuine all-rounder for his country but his batting has never recovered from the incident with Aaron that left him with a broken nose and two black eyes.

Still, the Nottinghamshire fast bowler, who is expected to bat at No9 during the Ashes series, will be one of England’s biggest threats with the ball given he has taken 42 wickets at 24.26 during the past two clashes against Australia in 2013-14 and 2015.

Mitchell Johnson terrorised England with raw pace during that last series in Australia four years ago, taking 37 wickets at 13.97 to inspire his team to a 5-0 whitewash.

Cummins, whose succession of injuries have restricted him to just five Tests in six years, is keen to make a similar impression over the coming months in what will be his first Tests on home soil.

The 24-year-old might not have the experience or skill of lightning quick Johnson, who thankfully for England has since retired from international cricket, but Australia know a batting line-up containing unproven players in Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Gary Ballance and Dawid Malan is there for the taking.

“I’d love to play that role,” said Cummins. “To watch Johnson do what he did, he kept the whole morale of the side and Australia up against the Poms almost single-handedly.

“It shows the importance a really quick bowler can have and hopefully one of us three or four guys can do a similar job.

“Joe Root is their in-form batsman - he’ll be the prized wicket along with Alastair Cook at the top.”

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