Australia are likely to go into the second Test on Thursday without their underperforming veteran duo Brad Haddin and Shane Watson.
The 37-year-old wicketkeeper has officially been left out for “family reasons” while the veteran all-rounder Watson, 34, who seems incapable of sorting out his lbw deficiencies, has simply been dropped, according to reports in Australia, and will be replaced by Mitch Marsh.
“This is a big decision,” Australia’s former captain Steve Waugh told Sky Sports in reference to Watson.
“A guy at that age... when he’s played a long time, when you make a decision like this now – it’s pretty much final. There’s probably no way back from being dropped now.”
Marsh clubbed eye-catching centuries in tour games against Kent and Essex that preceded the Ashes opener. Watson was preferred for the first Test, but the coach Darren Lehmann admitted he was “very close” to losing his place in the XI.
Watson was trapped lbw twice in that match, which Australia lost by 169 runs. It extended the all-rounder’s slump with the bat, meaning he has passed 50 in only two of his past 16 innings.
Haddin, 37, was absent for most of Australia’s practice session at Lord’s, instead speaking to Lehmann and the team psychologist, Michael Lloyd, on the pavilion balcony.
His replacement, Peter Nevill was, in contrast, put through his paces with the rest of the side. “I can confirm that Brad Haddin has withdrawn himself from the second Test at Lord’s for family reasons,” the team’s media manager, Kate Hutchison, said.
Haddin endured an indifferent performance in Cardiff, where he dropped Joe Root on nought in the first innings before England’s man of the match went on to score 134.
The Australia bowler Peter Siddle backed Nevill, who topped the batting averages for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield this season with 76 from 14 innings, to perform well, despite the pressure of making his debut at Lord’s – a notoriously testing ground for wicketkeepers.
Siddle said: “He has had a couple of great years in first-class cricket and, if it’s this Test or in future, then I’ve no doubt he will be ready to go.” Nevill is 29.
The fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who took seven wickets in Cardiff, is expected to be fit to play despite problems with an ankle injury. Siddle was in line to replace him if he was not fit.
“Starcy got through well today, bowled out in the middle off the long run, both ends, he’s feeling good,” said Siddle. “I guess it’s just a waiting game at the moment for myself. Everyone’s fit at the moment which is nice.”
With two of the old Australia heads removed from the line-up, Stokes said England, who are expected to name an unchanged side after their victory in the first Test, would go into the match buoyed by the confidence gained by their assertive performance in Wales.
“When Rooty caught the catch at the end it was like revenge,” the all-rounder said. “When they were eight wickets down I was thinking about how we felt when we were getting beat every game. To be on the verge of winning when they were eight wickets down and after what they did to us in Australia was pretty cool.”
The 24-year-old Durham player expects the tourists to be more vocal and aggressive on the field at Lord’s, given the pressure they are now under. He said: “There wasn’t hardly as much said in Cardiff as there was in Australia. I’m not quite sure why.
“Maybe the match referee had a word with the two captains, I’m not sure. But I think it might be a bit different here,” said Stokes, who made 52 and 42 with the bat in Cardiff as England triumphed by 169 runs.
“Australia are 1-0 down and they’ll want to get some revenge on us because we obviously beat them in four days, which was probably a shock to them. This game might be played in a different way but hopefully it won’t overstep the line.”
