How to win in Australia? It is the pre-Ashes question that prompts past English triumphs to be recounted for guidance but it is also worth remembering that there is a more recent example of a touring side managing to, as Ivo Bligh put it in 1883, “beard the kangaroo in its den”.
Though a three-match series, and not the five-Test epic starting at the Gabba on Thursday, the 2-1 win by South Africa this time last year seems as relevant a case study as any for Joe Root’s side – and one they sought out over a beer during the summer after making it home and away victories over the Proteas from their most recent encounters.
South Africa, who claimed the first two Tests in Perth and Hobart for an unassailable lead, managed to induce a spell of frightful angst and bloodletting in Australian cricket along the way, too, such that headlines were awash with the word “crisis” and prompted the hosts to make six squad changes, including three new caps, come the finale in Adelaide. Now Australia remain favourites to regain the urn this winter for good reason. Home conditions are theirs, the whitewash of 2013-14 is still fresh (despite just three survivors in the home XI, to England’s five) and English away triumphs in Ashes series are scarce. If Australia are still in a state of flux, some of the individual home records are daunting, not least those of Steve Smith and David Warner.
But according to Russell Domingo, the former head coach of South Africa, whose side proved such disruptive guests and prompted Smith to declare his embarrassment in defeat, if the Australian captain and his firebrand opener are kept quiet as part of an overall plan to stifle the runs and pressurise the less established names, there is a chance of success. “Australia are a side that once they get on top, they are very difficult to stop. They bully you into submission,” Domingo told The Observer. “But if you can control the run-rate and get some movement, you have got a chance. England have bowlers that can do that, as we did. Technically Australia batters will struggle if you do, as they are used to flat pitches and free scoring.”
Unsexy as it is, the ploy is backed up by the numbers, with Australia kept to around three runs an over in both the defeats by South Africa and England in 2010-11, as opposed to rates in excess of four when they have won in recent times. But how can England’s bowlers stop Warner and Smith, batsmen who average 65 and 87 at home over the past three years respectively, in their tracks?
“Smith is a fantastic player and, at No4, the key is get him against the new ball. If the platform is set, he’ll bat a long time. So go for the jugular. Yes, he’s quirky with that style of his, walking across the stumps to play through the on side. But take a risk, put the extra man in there for protection and bowl straight for lbws or bowled.
“With Warner, he can seriously hurt you. We bowled pretty much into his thigh pad for as long as possible, as he’ll cut anything fourth stump or wider for four. We closed down his scoring options – basically frustrated him out – and that seemed to work for us. It’s boring but nullify the impact of those two and there is a good chance of getting them for under 200.”
South Africa did not have it all their own way last year. Though they rolled their opponents for 85 and 161 in the second Test to spark the national meltdown, their opening win in Perth was an epic fightback – at one stage Australia were 167 for one in reply to their 242, with Dale Steyn having broken down after 12.4 overs to be ruled out for the remainder of the match and series. What followed was an incredible turnaround from the rest of the attack, electric fielding and some dominant second-innings batting for a 177-run win.
Here Domingo credits the cool head of the captain, Faf du Plessis, for ensuring his side did not disintegrate, something he believes Root must replicate given there will inevitably be times when Australia are on the front foot. “The captain has to absorb the pressure when Australia are in charge, take the emotion out of it and stay true to the goals and strategies. Faf was outstanding in doing that and Joe, from playing against England this year, seems a calm guy who won’t get flustered. He will have to have that because the crowd and media will be all over him.”
Du Plessis did not only have to cope with the loss of Steyn — the fast-medium Kyle Abbott stepped up with 13 wickets at 14 in the last two Tests — but his side had already pitched up on tour without the resting AB de Villiers. Though the circumstances are wildly different, to put it mildly, what must England do to cope with the loss of their own talisman Ben Stokes? “Our mantra was that no one is irreplaceable,” said Domingo. “For each and every single member remaining, the game goes on. So you have to make the next guy in feel as important as an AB or a Stokes. You ask for 10 to 15 runs extra from each batter, you urge a couple more overs from each bowler and it all contributes to the goal. Some teams perform best in adversity.”
Perhaps the greatest challenge will come for England’s batsmen, with Australia’s seam attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins looking particularly tasty, even if the latter is, by virtue of his injury record, playing his first home series. Domingo, whose side had only two batsmen average above 40 but saw five of them score hundreds, explained their approach: “Hazlewood is the big thing. He’s fantastically skilled — like Vernon Philander but with a touch more pace. We felt that Starc, while he’s terrific when on top, he would give us chances to score. So it was a case of nullifying the effect of Hazlewood and looking to score against the rest. Both sides have question marks in their batting so it will be fascinating to watch.”
Now the above is riddled with caveats. South African bowlers are well used to the Kookaburra ball, such that 2016 was their third successive series win in Australia. They did not start their series at the fortress of the Gabba last year but rather Perth where they often thrive, nor will England play on the greener pastures of Hobart.
But given that Australia’s squad for the first Test appears to have thrown up as many questions as they wrestled with so tempestuously 12 months ago (and much of the time since was spent rucking with their board over contracts) it is worth remembering that they, like England, remain an imperfect team and therefore vincible.
