Australia right behind Ashes foes England ahead of final India Test

Cheering on England is generally a low priority for Australia’s cricketers but Joe Root’s team can count on warm support from their Ashes foes during the fourth and final Test against India this week.

An England win in Ahmadabad would put Australia in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) against New Zealand, knocking India out of the running.

Australia’s Twenty20 squad in New Zealand will be keeping tabs on the action while preparing for matches against the Black Caps.

“Bit of self-interest there, isn’t it, for us following England for the first time in a long time,” Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald said in Wellington yesterday.

“We’ll be hoping that they can do the job there.”

England’s hopes of playing the WTC final were crushed with their 10-wicket defeat inside two days in an extraordinary third Test in Ahmadabad. They trail the series 2-1.

Thirty wickets fell in five sessions in that match, and McDonald said England would be up against it if presented with a similar pitch in the series finale starting tomorrow.

“It’s going to be difficult, no doubt.

“Some of the surfaces they’ve played on are conducive to spin bowling and probably India’s strengths are in their ability to play spin as well,” McDonald said.

“We wish [England] well, see what unfolds.

“It’s out of our hands but we’ll be watching on with interest.”

Australia’s fierce cricketing rivalry with England will resume later this year when Tim Paine’s team bids to retain the Ashes in the home summer.

Both teams face a challenge managing their squads due to the Twenty20 World Cup in India, which is slated for October and November in the leadup to the Test series.

Some of Australia’s Test players, including Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood, missed the T20 tour of New Zealand because they were picked for a Test tour of SA that was later aborted due to Covid-19.