2017-18 Ashes: 2nd Test Preview & Betting Tips

After what was a very competitive and even first three days, Australia ended the first Ashes Test with a dominant performance on days four and five to take a 1-0 lead. The series now moves to Adelaide for the second Test, which will be a day/night Test with a pink ball. The Adelaide Test will kick off this Saturday, the 2^nd of December, we preview the game and give our betting tips below.

Captain Steve Smith was the hero for the Australians in the first Test, compiling an innings saving hundred in the first dig when the Aussies were reeling at 4-76. The knock of 141no allowed Australia to surpass England’s first innings total of 328 before a lethal day four spell of bowling from Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon set up a manageable fourth innings target.

After falling for just 5 runs in his first ever Test innings, opener Cameron Bancroft redeemed himself in the chase, scoring 82no as the Australian’s surpassed the 170 run target without losing a wicket. The innings from Bancroft means that Australia will likely go into the Test with an unchanged line-up, regardless of Test hopeful Glenn Maxwell blasting a massive double hundred in the Sheffield Shield match running parallel to the first Test.

England will still be without troubled all-rounder Ben Stokes for the clash, but are hoping he will return to the line-up for the third Test in Perth starting December 14^th. They’ll likely too go into the match with an unchanged line-up, the only query is weather they will opt to, once again, play four quicks and bat spinner Moeen Ali at six.

Regardless of what the tourists decide to do, the Adelaide Test promises to be a lot more competitive and offer more to the England swing bowlers, particularly James Anderson. The pink ball proved to be difficult for batsmen to tame, especially early in the innings, in just the second day/night Test last year and if pitch reports are anything to go by, the fast track under lights should give the bowlers a great chance.

TIP: James Anderson top English wicket taker (1^st Innings) - $3.50 at Ladbrokes

Australian coach Darren Lehmann has described the Adelaide pitch as the fastest in the country, which should lend even more credence to the constant mind games being played by spinner Nathan Lyon in an attempt to rattle the English batsmen. Lyon stated before the series that he thinks the Australian quicks in Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins and co. could ‘end some careers’ much like Mitchell Johnson did the last time England toured Australia.

For all the talk of it being a great wicket for the bowlers, it’s still Adelaide, which has been known throughout the better part of three decades as possibly the best batting wicket in all of Test cricket. The switch to the day/night Test with the pink ball has only marginally levelled out the playing field so we expect to see a really competitive match here.

Even with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft batting so well in the second innings, the fragility of the whole Australian batting line-up, sans Steve Smith, is a real concern. Usman Khawaja showed his propensity to get out to spin in Brisbane, something you can be sure the English will continue to attack. While Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh are unproven on the big stage.

Something keeps telling me that the English bowling attack will fire back here, particularly Anderson. The Australian batting lineup has been susceptible to a collapse against quality swing bowling and under lights with the pink ball will offer great conditions to Anderson. If not for Smith the Australians would have been rolled for under 200 in Brisbane and as good as he is, he can’t bail them out every time.

The English young batsmen in Stoneman, Vince and Mallan also looked capable against the Aussie pace attack, and we can’t expect the Cook form slump to last long. We think the English show a dominant performance with the ball in their first innings and set up a win to level the series at one apiece.

TIP: England to win Adelaide Test - $6 at Sportsbet