A sunny Saturday morning in Perth, on picturesque Lilac Hill, with the expectation of bad news.
There was even a prior warning from England that an announcement was due about Mark Wood, which is not usually a sign of optimism.
Bad news would come, but not from the English side of the Ashes division. Exactly 86 minutes after Wood was cleared due to concerns over a hamstring injury, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of Friday’s first Test with a bad knock of his own. Hazlewood was paralyzed, Wood hamstrong.
The shockwave rippled through the white fences of Lilac Hill, making the action on the field in England’s warm-up match against the England Lions inconsequential compared to the action on the hamstring scans in various parts of Australia.
Hazlewood joins captain Pat Cummins on the bench, with two-thirds of Australia’s big three pacers absent in the series opener at Optus Stadium.
Before you hand the urn to Ben Stokes, remember that Hazlewood missed four Tests in the last Ashes played in this country in 2021-22. Cummins also missed one. Australia won 4-0.
In home Tests played without Cummins or Hazlewood in the XI, the Australians have not lost in 13 years.
Still, this is not the Australia of four years ago. Older and with doubts about the composition of their team, the hosts will find it more difficult to absorb the absence of two thoroughbred fast bowlers. Australia could field any of six different XIs, none of which look entirely satisfactory.
It is a golden opportunity that England simply cannot afford to waste.
That’s not to say Australia is suddenly there for the taking. The hosts remain favorites because they have very good cricketers and they don’t lose at home very often.
And it’s not a huge leap to say this is England’s best chance of winning Australia in 14 years, as 13 defeats and two draws in 15 Tests since 2010-11 are a low barrier to success.
To win back the Ashes, England have no choice but to start well. Momentum is rarely reversed in Australia, making a return to 2023 style much more difficult. The second Test is day and night and the Australians, led by pink ball genius Mitchell Starc, rarely lose under the spotlight.
Given their exhaustion, imagine the boost Australia would gain from winning the first Test, especially with skipper Cummins on track to return for the second. Consider the feeling England would have if they lost.
