ASHES IS SET FOR STYLE WARS
MIKE GATTING does not buy into the belief the Aussies will fight fire with fire this summer and try and out-bazball Ben Stokes’ men. Instead, the former England captain expects the tourists will stick with their tried and trusted no-nonsense and tough style winning recipe – which has seen them lose just one of the last five Ashes campaigns.
England captain Stokes has already thrown down the gauntlet to the Baggy Green by outlining his desire to continue with the same ultra-attacking, aggressive cricket which has seen his side win 10 of their last 12 Tests.
Other England players, including Ollie Pope, have been similarly bullish in their belief they recapture the urn in now customary belligerent, swashbuckling fashion.
Stokes shrugged off the agonising last winter Test loss to New
Zealand – where they went down by a single run – as just a blip.
He insists it will have no bearing on their mental and physical approach when they walk out for the First Test at
Edgbaston on June 16.
Gatting (right) would love to see England regain the Ashes and is backing the team to continue their incredible form under Stokes and Brendon Mccullum.
However, he said: “I don’t expect the Aussies to do anything different from what they have in the past.
“They have been so successful with their own special way of going about it on the field so they will see no reason to change.
“They won’t be too concerned with how England play but they will have sat up and taken note of what Ben Stokes and his players have achieved over the last 12 months.australia will play to win, not to entertain.they play hard and don’t take chances.
“But the wonderful thing for me is that T20 is being incorporated into Test cricket.
“They are playing a lot more shots and doing so when the time is right.they know when they need to take the game away from the opposition.”
Gatting is looking forward to an excellent Test summer, and expects the experienced England bowlers to take the lead.
He added:
“Australia have some good players, too, but having seen our guys close up they are such a very talented group.
“There are some older heads in there like Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, plus Jofra Archer and Markwood set to come back into the side and bowl quick. Ollie Robinson is bowling well and has been very steady.
“It is going to be so interesting to see how it goes. It is going to be an excellent summer.”