This article contains affiliate links to advertisers. Gamble Aware 18+
A whirlwind opening Test saw the hosts overcome England within two days of play, after both teams capitulated at the crease during a frenzied first innings. Travis Head was undoubtedly the star of the show at the Optus Stadium, racking up a quick-fire 123 runs in just over two hours to propel Australia to a crucial triumph. There were also several strong bowling performances, with New South Wales seamer Mitchell Starc claiming ten wickets and Ben Stokes delivering a blistering spell early on.
However, the England skipper endured a torrid time with the bat in hand, as did the vast majority of his teammates. Australia also struggled to generate any batting momentum before Head’s inspirational knock, with both teams having failed to register more than 175 runs by the conclusion of a speedy first innings.
The Baggy Greens will therefore head into this week’s tie with some degree of confidence, although stand-in captain Steve Smith knows his team must improve in their quest to retain possession of the urn. England arrive in Brisbane wounded but not broken following that early defeat, so expect the Three Lions to come out roaring this week.
Australia v England: Key information
Date: Thursday, December 4th (until Monday, December 8th)
Start time: Thursday, 04:00 GMT
Format: Five-day Test match
Venue: Brisbane Cricket Ground (‘The Gabba’), Brisbane, Queensland
Umpires: Adrian Holdstock and Sharfuddoula Saikat (Referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Fourth Umpire: Phil Gillespie)
TV Umpire: Nitin Menon
TV Channels/Live Stream: TNT Sports (TV), discovery+ (TV & app), bet365 (live stream)
Odds: Australia: 8/15, Draw: 11/1, England: 21/10
Odds provided by bet365
Australia v England team news
Although both squads suffered injury setbacks during the first Test, Australia currently bears the more extensive list of absentees. Nevertheless, neither side has made any personnel changes ahead of this week’s contest in Brisbane.
Australia team news
Despite being expected to make an immediate return after missing the opener in Perth, Pat Cummins is now unlikely to feature at the Gabba. Australia’s highly decorated captain is still struggling with lumbar stress, but at least appears to be entering the final stages of his rehabilitation. That leaves Steve Smith to assume leadership responsibilities once again, while Brendan Doggett continues to deputise for the stricken Cummins in the Aussies’ bowling attack.
Usman Khawaja is also currently experiencing back issues, after dealing with crippling spasms throughout the previous Test. The experienced batsman was unable to take up his usual position at the top end of the Australian order, an issue exacerbated by Marnus Labuschagne’s poor first-innings return. Travis Head proved to be a more than adequate deputy as he covered for his ailing teammates, so Smith may decide to retain the former Yorkshire ace as part of his opening duo.
The Australian camp has also been rocked by the continuing absence of Josh Hazlewood, who is still nursing the hamstring strain he sustained during a recent Sheffield Shield clash. Fellow seamer Sean Abbott picked up a similar problem in the same match, but will likely be sidelined for a longer period than his New South Wales teammate.
Australia squad: Steve Smith (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Coach: Andrew McDonald
England team news
Having shrugged off a shoulder issue in the lead-up to this pivotal series, Ben Stokes navigated the full match in Perth without any further complications. The same cannot be said of veteran all-rounder Chris Woakes, who was omitted from McCullum’s Ashes squad after dislocating his shoulder against India during the summer.
Mark Wood has been dealt a further crushing blow following his long-awaited return to action, leaving the Three Lions bereft of their fastest bowler. The 35-year-old Durham ace has re-inflamed the knee injury that catalysed his recent nine-month absence, so will now miss the second Test in Brisbane.
Although he has no other injury headaches to contend with, Stokes faces a huge decision when he comes to select England’s batting order. Zak Crawley’s lacklustre display in Western Australia – the Kent hero went out for a duck in both innings at the Optus Stadium – may result in him losing top spot, with several candidates potentially poised to move up the order. Whatever arrangement Stokes puts in place, he’ll be demanding more from himself and his other most capable batsman this week.
England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue
Coach: Brendon McCullum
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Full televised coverage of the second Ashes Test will be shown on TNT Sports, while discovery+ subscribers can catch all of the action via the network’s dedicated app service. Leading bookmaker bet365 is also streaming live footage from the Gabba across their in-house channels.
Head-to-head record
After re-acquiring the Ashes thanks to a convincing 4-0 victory in the 2017/18 series, the Baggy Greens have continued to maintain possession of the urn. A draw on English soil in 2019 was followed by another Australian whitewash the next time around, before these two old enemies produced another stalemate just over two years ago.
Remarkably, England haven’t won a Test match in Australia for almost 15 years. The Three Lions last emerged triumphant Down Under in January 2011, when Alistair Cook’s staggering opening tally of 189 handed the visitors an unassailable lead in Sydney. Rewind a further 24 years or so to arrive at England’s last victory at the Gabba, which saw Ian Botham celebrate a century during the inaugural Test of the 1986/87 series.
Odds for Australia v England
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.