England's chances of winning the Ashes series have been significantly enhanced by news that Mark Wood and Josh Hazlewood will not be playing. The Australian fast bowler, Hazlewood, was ruled out of the first Test with a dodgy hamstring injury just minutes after England's own fast bowler, Mark Wood, had his hamstring cleared following concerns over a similar injury.
The absence of these two pacers has given England a major boost ahead of the Perth Test at Lilac Hill. The team now looks set on a five-man pace attack for the first Test, which is a more favorable alignment for them. With four other seamers providing protection for Wood from any potential hamstring issues, it seems likely that he will be available to play.
The news also means that Australia's Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are out of the series opener at Optus Stadium, leaving the team without three-quarters of its big three pacers. This is a significant blow to Australia, who have traditionally struggled in Tests played without both Cummins and Hazlewood.
Despite their depleted squad, Australia remain favourites to win the Ashes due to their superior quality and home advantage. However, England now have a golden opportunity to regain the urn in Australia for 14 years, having lost 13 out of 15 Tests since 2010-11.
England will need to start well if they are to reverse Australia's momentum and win the series. Reversing momentum is rarely achieved in Australia, so a successful first Test would be a major boost to their chances. The second Test is also a day-nighter at Optus Stadium, where Australia have traditionally performed well under floodlights.
The debate around England's method of preparation for this tour has been intense, with the team opting for a controlled environment against the Lions rather than participating in a full-scale warm-up series. This decision was likely driven by the fact that many of Australia's best domestic cricketers are busy competing in the Sheffield Shield.
Overall, the news that Mark Wood and Josh Hazlewood will not be playing has given England a significant advantage ahead of the Ashes series. With their depleted squad facing off against an Australian team without three-quarters of its big three pacers, England now have a golden opportunity to regain the urn in Australia for 14 years.
The absence of these two pacers has given England a major boost ahead of the Perth Test at Lilac Hill. The team now looks set on a five-man pace attack for the first Test, which is a more favorable alignment for them. With four other seamers providing protection for Wood from any potential hamstring issues, it seems likely that he will be available to play.
The news also means that Australia's Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are out of the series opener at Optus Stadium, leaving the team without three-quarters of its big three pacers. This is a significant blow to Australia, who have traditionally struggled in Tests played without both Cummins and Hazlewood.
Despite their depleted squad, Australia remain favourites to win the Ashes due to their superior quality and home advantage. However, England now have a golden opportunity to regain the urn in Australia for 14 years, having lost 13 out of 15 Tests since 2010-11.
England will need to start well if they are to reverse Australia's momentum and win the series. Reversing momentum is rarely achieved in Australia, so a successful first Test would be a major boost to their chances. The second Test is also a day-nighter at Optus Stadium, where Australia have traditionally performed well under floodlights.
The debate around England's method of preparation for this tour has been intense, with the team opting for a controlled environment against the Lions rather than participating in a full-scale warm-up series. This decision was likely driven by the fact that many of Australia's best domestic cricketers are busy competing in the Sheffield Shield.
Overall, the news that Mark Wood and Josh Hazlewood will not be playing has given England a significant advantage ahead of the Ashes series. With their depleted squad facing off against an Australian team without three-quarters of its big three pacers, England now have a golden opportunity to regain the urn in Australia for 14 years.
I can imagine how frustrating it must be for Aussie fans right now... Losing two top players at the same time is just not ideal for them 
. But you know what? This could actually be a blessing in disguise for England 
. They've got a great chance to get off to a flying start and maybe, just maybe, they can turn this series around 
. The fact that Australia's squad is weakened without their big three pacers has given England a real advantage 
. Fingers crossed for the Poms! 
so australia's biggest bowlers aren't playing and england gets to roll with it like they're gonna crush them or something lol and england doesn't even need a proper warm up series cuz the aussies are busy doing their own thing 
i mean can u believe it? it's like they set it up this way on purpose so england would be all like "woohoo we got this" 
so i think england's chances just got way bigger because those two aussie fast bowlers are out 
. it's like they're playing with one hand tied behind their back, you know? australia's always struggled when cummins and hazlewood aren't on the field 
. and let's be real, australia's still gonna be tough to beat at home 
. but this is definitely a boost for england 
with wood available england has got this series in the bag lol just kidding kinda but seriously its a big advantage for them having 4 other seamers to protect wood from hamstring issues and now they can finally take on australia on equal terms 
. Like, come on, it's just a hamstring injury... or at least that's what they're making it out to be 
. Mark Wood was cleared to play and now Josh Hazlewood is out? What a shocker! And don't even get me started on the fact that Australia is still fave to win despite being depleted - like, how's that possible? 
. Not sure how well that's gonna play out in the end...
, aussies r losin some big names and thats gonna hurt em big time 
, theyve been strugglin for ages so it would be epic 4 them 2 get it right 
austrailia is still gonna be strong tho 
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he's gonna be like a beast on the pitch. plus england has been preparing in secret, like, against the lions or something 
that was just a cover up, but i'm onto it. australia thinks they got away with somethin', but england is ready to take 'em down.
. australia's gonna have to really step up their game if they wanna keep their momentum going 
. England's method was questioned tho... maybe they were wise to keep it low-key before facing their biggest rivals 
. now that Australia's pacers are out, England's pace attack looks solid 
. if they can take advantage of the Aussie's weakness, they might just have a crack at regaining the urn 
they got lucky with hazlewood getting injured and wood being cleared from his hamstring issues! it's like the universe is smiling at england 
, but seriously, aussie team is looking a bit fragile without cummins and hazlewood. england should totally capitalize on this and grab that ashles urn back 
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️. If Wood is healthy, that's a huge boost to their team. I think England should take full advantage of this and try to get a win in the first Test ASAP 
. 4 out of 5 seamers is a great setup for them, they can just keep on bowling 
. and yeah, england's prep method was kinda sketchy but it looks like it paid off