England have called-up spinner Will Jacks into their squad for the second Ashes Test. The upcoming match will be held in Brisbane. Jacks’ starting role in the last Test sees Jacks return to Test cricket after a three-year absence after his 2022 cap. Choosing Jacks adds a spin option to the English deck. It is a big decision given that they are trying to win their first match there in 59 years, and an ongoing long winless run.
Ben Stokes is captain of the current England team. Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Brook, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer complete the roster. Jacks’ inclusion is a surprising pick. Even he would have been surprised by the extent to which that made him a left-field selection for the ensuing Ashes squad. His multi-dimensioned skill set as a batting all-rounder gives the Three Lions extra depth at the spot opposite to eight.
Jacks announced himself on the biggest stages of international cricket with a brilliant Test debut against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022. He took a remarkable six wickets in that game. From there, his development and evolution has continued, with 60 caps now in white-ball formats.
As England look ahead to the day-night match in Brisbane, they really do have a mountain to climb. Australia has a great record at this ground, losing just once in their last 14 day-night Tests. That one and only defeat came in just his second match in charge during a humiliating upset loss to West Indies in 2024.
“The way he’s grown over the last few years, we’ve seen his white-ball game really go forward.”
England have a learned collapse over a past few years, with their failing on win any of their final 16 Tests on Australian soil. You have endured three consecutive losses in day-night matches. This all underscores the importance of adjusting to the unusual conditions of pink-ball cricket.
The impact of pitch conditions and the power of local crowds will be a major factor to consider when it comes to game-day strategy. Pope added:
Stokes, the England captain, echoed these sentiments about the importance of adapting to the conditions, emphasizing that:
“We know they have a good record here but at the same time they certainly haven’t been unbeatable here, as we’ve seen.”
That decision to name Jacks was made, in part, because of the gap left by Mark Wood’s injury. Afridi was included in England’s 12-man squad for last week’s first Test, but missed out on a place in the team for this match.
“We’ll use the crowd, we know the pitch conditions and we’ve played a few pink-ball games, too.”
Nathan Lyon continues to be the most important player in the Australian side and is particularly effective with the pink ball. He is a mainstay in ODIs, having averages and strike rates that are better than his red ball cricket average and strike rate. Therefore Stokes needs to find ways to neutralize Lyon’s strengths. Only then can they hope to achieve their first win on Australian soil since 2010.
“They play a lot of day-night cricket here.”
The second Test is scheduled to start at 04:00 GMT on Thursday. Viewers and listeners will be able to follow live text updates, commentary from Test Match Special, and in-play highlights on the BBC Sport website.
Nathan Lyon remains a key player for Australia and is known for his effectiveness with the pink ball. He boasts superior averages and strike rates compared to his performance with red ball cricket. Stokes will need to devise strategies to counter Lyon’s skills if England hopes to secure their first victory on Australian soil since 2010.
The second Test is scheduled to start at 04:00 GMT on Thursday. Fans can follow live text updates, commentary from Test Match Special, and in-play highlights on the BBC Sport website.
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