Whole new ball game
Rabada escapes ban to take on Aussies
FOR ENGLAND, the mission in New Zealand is simple – to win just a second overseas Test series since 2012. For Joe Root the stakes are higher in his fledgling captaincy as, a year into the job, he aims to stamp his mark on underperforming team.
Since winning in India six years ago, England have won just one series in eight away from home – in South Africa in 2015-16.
That run has included tours of New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh, India, the UAE against Pakistan and two Ashes series in Australia, the most recent when they were beaten 4-0 earlier this winter. Now, ahead of home series against Pakistan and India this summer, Root feels it is time to cure England’s travel sickness. “It has been a tough winter until now but we have two Test matches to put a different stamp on it and change our momentum going into the summer,” he said.
“It is a big series for us coming from a big defeat like the Ashes, so we need to make sure we put that right and come away with some success overseas because it has not happened for a while.
“Looking around world cricket, it is very hard for any side to win away. It is one of the biggest challenges to make sure you adapt well to the conditions and make sure you can get something from the series.
“I suppose there will be a lot of similarities in terms of
LIKELY LINE-UPS Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (capt), Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
England: this
Jeet Ravel, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (capt), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wkt), Colin De Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Neil Wagner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult. TV umpire: M Erasmus (SA). Umpires: B Oxenford (Aus), P Reiffel (Aus). Cricket. Start: 1am tomorrow. TV: Sky Sports
New Zealand: same way, then we may get exactly the same results.”
As for making his mark as captain, Root feels he was hampered by the absence of Stokes during the Ashes, not to mention the injuries that ruled out bowlers Mark Wood and Toby Roland-Jones.
The momentum gained from victories against South Africa and West Indies in his first two series at home last summer was brought to a halt in Australia. But he feels this is now his chance to get things back on track.
“With the amount of injuries and Ben in the Ashes, it has restricted how I wanted to do things,” he said. “This is the first opportunity I’ve had to do that away from home. I would hate to go into any SOUTH AFRICA coach Ottis Gibson believes the world’s best Test bowler Kagiso Rabada has learnt from his brush with suspension and expects more mature on-field behaviour in the third Test against Australia, starting in Cape Town tomorrow.
Rabada successfully appealed against an ICC sanction for brushing the shoulder of Australia captain Steve Smith while celebrating his dismissal in the second Test, getting his punishment reduced from three demerit points to one. That means he remains under
the series and say this is about me putting my stamp on things. This is about us winning and if we can find a way of doing that then I will have put my stamp on things.” One way Root might do that would be to take over the problematic No 3 position. James Vince was unconvincing during the Ashes but will get one more chance to prove he can cut it at Test level. Talk that coach Trevor Bayliss is keen to see his captain move up from No 4 is, according to Root, wide of the mark. “He wants me to be comfortable as captain and for me to bat where I think I will get the best out of myself,” he said. “I definitely feel that has been at No 4.” suspension threshold of eight in the last 24 months, freeing him to play in the remaining two Tests of the acrimonious series that is poised at 1-1.
“He has been made very aware of his on-field celebrations,” said Gibson. “He’s not a bad kid, he’s a bit over-exuberant at times. But there was not aggressive intent there, apart from celebrating a wicket. He’s a smart kid and I am sure he has learnt his lesson.”
Gibson acknowledged that having Rabada available is a massive boost to South Africa’s chances of winning the series.
“The No1 bowler in the world being allowed to play cricket is exciting for everybody concerned,” he said.