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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

England hope Archer is on target against Smith

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LONDON: England are set to field a revamped attack featuring fast bowler Jofra Archer as they try to finally get Australia’s batting star Steve Smith out cheaply and level the Ashes in the second Test at Lord’s.

Holders Australia, bidding to win their first away Ashes series for 18 years, humbled England last time out thanks in large part to Smith, who returned to this level following a 12-month ban for his involvement in a ball-tampering scandal with two centuries as they cruised to a 251-run first Test win at Edgbaston.


Defeat at Edgbaston was made worse for England by the fact that James Anderson, their all-time leading wicket-taker, broke down after bowling just four overs with a calf injury that has ruled the 37-year-old swing specialist out of a Lord’s encounter starting Wednesday.


“We are very aware that England played without James Anderson, one of their best players and we got lucky,” said Australia coach Justin Langer.


“That’s the truth of it, with him not playing. He’s a brilliant fast bowler, one of the all-time greats, so if he only bowls four overs for the match then we got lucky there.


“Here at Lord’s there’s different conditions and different pressures so we just have to make sure we’re right for this Test match,” added the former Australia opener, who played at the ‘home of cricket’ for English county Middlesex.


Anderson’s absence means England are set to give a Test debut to Archer, who will be returning to the ground where he bowled the dramatic Super Over that sealed a thrilling World Cup final win over New Zealand last month.


But the 24-year-old, coached at Sussex by former Australia paceman Jason Gillespie, has played just 28 first-class matches and Langer was looking to his batsmen to wear Archer down in a way that’s not possible in a one-day international, where bowlers are restricted to a maximum of 10 overs.


“It’s the same for everyone in Test cricket, get them into their second, third and fourth spells,” Langer said.


‘More ready than ever’


But a defiant Archer insisted he was ready for the challenge, having proved his fitness for Sussex in a 2nd XI match against Gloucestershire during which he took 6-27 in the first innings and then scored 108 after a side strain ruled him out of contention at Edgbaston.


“I’ve played a lot more red-ball cricket and it’s my preferred format,” Archer said. “I’m more ready than I’ve ever been.


“I bowled 50 overs in one game for Sussex and am the one usually bowling at the end.


England are also set to field left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who scored a career-best 92 in the one-off Test win over Ireland at Lord’s last month, after Moeen Ali was dropped following the off-spinner’s lacklustre display at Edgbaston.


Analysis by CricViz shows Smith averages a modest 34.90 against left-arm spin compared to a superb overall Test mark of nearly 63.


But as for suggestions Smith had an inherent weakness when confronted with this type of bowling, Langer replied: “No, I don’t buy into it.


“He has got this incredible ability to solve problems.”


Australia could rotate their attack at Lord’s, with left-armer Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood looking to test an England top order prone to collapse.


“Whether it’s a green top or a dry wicket, we have really good options,” said Langer.


“We have six high-class fast bowlers and we’ll work out what’s going to be best for this Test match and the whole series.”


Pattinson dropped


On Tuesday, Australia have left pace bowler James Pattinson out of their 12-man squad for the second Test, with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood both vying for a recall.


Pattinson was part of the team that won by 251 runs at Edgbaston, taking two wickets in his first Test in three years.


But the 29-year-old will sit out the Lord’s Test leaving Starc and Hazlewood to push their claims.


With Pattinson’s long-standing fitness problems and the next two Tests coming back to back, the decision to leave him out appears to be a case of workload management.


Australia squad for second Ashes Test:


Tim Paine (capt & wkt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood


— AFP


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