As the Ashes party moves on to Adelaide for the second Test, Joe Root’s men have their work cut out after their 10-wicket demolition in Brisbane.
As Adelaide prepares for the first ever day-night Ashes Test, we look at the seven deadly stats.
ENGLAND’S CHANCES WHEN TRAILING 1-0 DOWN UNDER
Only twice in their history have England overturned a 1-0 deficit in Australia to claim the Ashes. As such, Root’s men will be playing against history when re-start their quest to retain the urn.
BATSMEN’S PARADISE
Since 2000, the average first-innings score at the Adelaide Oval is a whopping 430 runs. Dangerously for England, Australia’s top order loves to bat at the venue. Captain Steve Smith might average an insane 61.23 runs over the course of his career but is a far greater beast at Adelaide with a whopping average of 81.80 in four Tests. Similarly, deputy skipper David Warner averages almost 60 at the Oval compared to his overall average of 48.48.
The likes of Warner and Smith have a much higher average at Adelaide.
AUSTRALIA’S DAY-NIGHT DOMINATION
Since the inception of day-night Tests by the ICC in 2015, Australia have played the most: three – winning each of those contests. Interestingly, two of those coming at the Adelaide Oval.
England have a 100 percent win-record with the pink ball themselves, though, despite only playing one Test against West Indies.
AUSTRALIA’S PINK BALL MONSTERS
Two of the leading wicket-takers with the pink ball in first-class cricket will be on show at the Adelaide Oval under lights. That they both belong to Australia will not comfort the English.
Mitchell Starc is the highest wicket-taker in day-night first-class games with 42 wickets at an average of just 17.90. The second-highest wicket taker is his new ball partner Josh Hazelwood with 33 wickets at an average of 18.30.
ALASTAIR COOK’S PINK-BALL DOMINANCE
While England might have played only one day-night Test before they arrived at Adelaide, Cook hit a mammoth 243-run knock against the West Indies in his sole international pink-ball innings.
He has faced the pink-ball under lights on one other occasion where he hit a 193 for Essex in a first-class game. While he has been struggling of late, the day-night Test at Adelaide might just provide him the perfect chance to get back in the groove.
Cook scored 243 in his only pink-ball innings in international cricket.
ENGLAND’S NOT SO BAD RECORD AT ADELAIDE
Of the 31 Tests England have played at the Adelaide Oval, they have managed to come out as the winning side in no less than nine matches. Their latest victory at the venue came in the 2010-11 Ashes where they recorded a famous win by an innings and 71 runs.
While the Gabba was a complete fortress, there are chinks in the Adelaide armour which England could look to exploit.
STEVE SMITH’S BATTING LANDMARKS
After his dogged century at Brisbane, the Australian skipper has seen his average rise to a massive 61.23. In the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen, Smith maintained top spot while reaching a career-high rating of 961 points. Only four other batsmen – Sir Don Bradman, Jack Hobbs, Ricky Ponting and Len Hutton – have had a higher rating in the history of the game.
Smith continues to create new batting landmarks.
