England vows to fight
Sledging of Bairstow a motivation
England is fuming that Australia has humiliated Jonny Bairstow, vowing to avenge their under-siege wicketkeeper in the must-win second Test.
Spiritual leader James Anderson has declared the sledging directed at Bairstow over “headbutt-gate” in Brisbane will be used as inspiration to fight fire with fire in Adelaide.
Australian batsman Peter Handscomb has indicated the verbal onslaught will continue out in the middle in the historic day-night Ashes Test and made no apologies for going after Bairstow, who is his county teammate in Yorkshire.
Anderson says he lives for these moments when Ashes tensions explode and has even thrown down the gauntlet to Australia’s intimidating pace attack to keep peppering him and the English tail with a bouncer assault – pledging to “take a few blows” for his embattled team.
The veteran bowler, who was famously warned by Michael Clarke to “get ready for a broken f---ing arm” four years ago, had net bowlers delivering him huge front-foot no balls yesterday in a bid to simulate the extreme speed and bounce of Patrick Cummins and
Mitchell Starc. With Australia’s strategic mind games embarrassing a guilty Bairstow and England in the turning point moment of the first Test, Anderson is determined to ensure his side does not let the perceived disrespect slide.
“If anything, it will galvanise us as a group,” he said.
“We’re all going to get behind Jonny, who is an important player in our team. If we need any more incentive to get back in the series, it will give us that.
“It’s something I’ve always enjoyed.
“When someone is trying to get under my skin in all walks of life it makes me more determined to succeed.
“They will go hard at us … it’s up to us individually and as a group to stick together and know we are not here to roll over.”
Handscomb admitted he had never seen sledging work as effectively as it did against Bairstow and said Australia would continue to test out England’s “mental capabilities”.
Bairstow may or may not be the chief target in the second Test, but Handscomb has no mixed feelings about baiting someone he considers a friend.
“We’re trying our hardest to win games for this country and if that’s going to give us a slight edge, well, we’re going to do it,” he said.
“As far as sledging goes it was probably some of the smartest stuff we’ve ever come up with.
“It was good to see that worked. It’s a part of the game … if it opens up a weakness we’ll be pretty happy with it.”
Australia is making no secret of plans to relentlessly attack England’s tail with short-pitch bowling after the effectiveness of the tactic in the first Test.
In the first innings, England lost their last six wickets for just 56 runs and in the second, Starc knocked over three members of the old enemy’s tail in the space of 10 balls.
Stuart Broad also had bowlers delivering them short to him yesterday in the nets and he and Anderson have promised they won’t be scared when the pitch quickens up under lights come tomorrow.
Anderson said: “Obviously we were made well aware of how they were going to attack us with the ball.
“It is now down to us to work out ways individually where our scoring options are and if we are batting with a batsman that we have to hang around with for a while and take a few blows.
“Just battle it out at times … it’s down to us. We’re going to have to try and counteract that.”