Root's laptop warfare
THERE’S a second Ashes war happening behind closed doors, with Joe Root yesterday making an early statement about his computer- generated preparation.
If England fail to retain the Ashes, it won’t be for a lack of mind power, with plans to the likes of Usman Khawaja and David Warner already striking significant pay dirt.
Steve Smith managed to wriggle out of the early net Root cast around him, but it’s clear this is an England side that has done their homework.
Australia’s politicians may be under scrutiny for having British heritage, but someone playfully suggested it was time to check Root’s passport to see whether he truly is an Englishman.
Unlike so many safety- first English captains, Root displayed an adventure and derring- do that seemed more out of the Australian style which has so influenced his cricketing upbringing.
England fast bowler Jake Ball last night revealed that Root along with New Zealandborn bowling coach Shane Bond had spent hours on the laptop prior to this series, devising plans to every single one of the Australian batsmen.
Veteran pacemen Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad might not have the zip they once did, but they lacked none of their guile yesterday and in combination with Root’s razor- sharp fields they have shown signs of one last famous hurrah on Australian soil.
The games of cat and mouse have begun.
“We have our plans for each batter and we feel like we executed them almost to perfection today,” said Ball, after England had Australia teeter- ing at 4- 76. “It was quite clear we were trying to stop boundary options and starve them a bit of the strike and I think that worked really well to Warner.
“Bondy who has come in and Rooty spent a lot of time looking at stats and looking at where batters score runs, and ( specifically) where they score runs in the first few overs.
“I think the amount of time those two have put in is really showing out on the field. We had a meeting the other day where we had a lot of analysis and a lot of stuff on each player, which is great for us as players knowing where their weak areas are. We know what plans to execute at specific times.”
Ball said he was pumped to get the big wicket of Warner, who had been a vocal presence both in the weeks leading up to the series and also earlier on day two, when James Anderson strode to the crease.
Warner’s spectacular catch to dismiss Ball with a diving take from leg slip off Mitchell Starc was absolute magic.
It was a warning shot that the Australian opener is always in the game, but to Ball’s credit he bounced back and ensured Warner would not go on and make one of his typical Gabba hundreds.
“I think it’s always nice to get a big wicket,” he said. “We see Warner and Smith as the two main Australian players.”