James Anderson believes England head into the Ashes as underdogs despite agreeing with former new-ball partner Stuart Broad that Australia are at their “weakest” for the last 15 years.
Broad, now making a career as a television pundit, reckons the current Australia side is their worst since the 2010/11 series which England won 3-1.
That was England’s last Ashes series success in Australia and their recent record ‘Down Under’ is woeful, with 13 defeats and two draws in 15 Tests.
But they have fresh hope ahead of next week’s series opener in Perth, with Australia captain and key paceman Pat Cummins sidelined by injury and doubts surrounding the hosts’ top-order batting.
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Anderson, whose 704 Test wickets make him England’s leading bowler in the format, told TNT Sports: “Australia have been so strong and so consistent in their team selection over the last 10 years, that this probably is their weakest team (in the last 15 years).
“There are doubts around who’s going to bat in the top three, Pat Cummins missing is huge. There are question marks there, definitely, and there are cracks that England could potentially expose. There’s a great chance for England to get on top early.”
But paceman Anderson, effectively forced into Test retirement by England management last year although he’s still playing for county side Lancashire, said: “I don’t think England are quite favourites, I’d say Australia are still favourites, in Australia.
“There’s still a lot of quality in their batting line-up, there’s still a lot of quality with their bowlers as well, even if Cummins is missing.”
Anderson, a central figure in England’s 2010/11 triumph, with 24 wickets at an average of 26.04, added: “So I think they probably just edge out England in terms of being favourites, but I don’t think there’s much in it. It’s a tough one to call, so I’d say Australia, just.”
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Former Australian coach Tim Nielsen fends it away with a laugh and insists the real takeaway is buried in broad daylight.
“Yeah, heard that, I don’t necessarily listen to much media these days,” he said when asked about Stuart Broad’s comparison of the current and 2010/11 Australian sides.
Broad lit a pre-Ashes fire when he pointed out the instability in Australia’s top order and questioned the bowling depth without star skipper Pat Cummins.
He said it was “fact” that the current team was the worst since the one that lost 3-1 to England in 2010-11.
But, according to Nielsen, the most notable comparison between the two squads now and those 15 years ago is the monumental disparity between the quality of spinners.
Graeme Swann was a headache for the Aussies, who were contrastingly struggling to fill eras between Shane Warne and Nathan Lyon.
Nielsen said the shoe was on the other foot this time around and backed Lyon to exploit England’s weaker spin stocks.
“(England) were an excellent team and they outplayed us in that series,” Nielsen said.
“But it’s interesting because the biggest difference I felt and remember from that series was the impact and quality Swann had for them.
“I think the biggest difference in this series will be Nathan Lyon and their lack of spin in Australian conditions.
“Even if it does seam around early on, it does still usually flatten out for a good portion of the game.
“(England’s) lack of experience and relative quality in the spin department compared to what Lyon can offer is going to be a huge difference.
“I would be thinking that’s where Australia has a huge advantage and probably can make a big impact.”
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Nielsen’s comments stacked up when England champion batter Joe Root went at eight runs an over bowling his off-spin to the England Lions on Thursday.
Root’s bowling could be of concern to the English but his form in recent seasons with the bat will be getting closer attention from the Aussies.
He has enjoyed career-best form under Brendon McCullum during the ‘BazBall’ era.
But, in line with former England captain Michael Vaughan, Nielsen said the travelling top order needed to either execute flawlessly or hold back its aggression early.
“(Australia) will create opportunities with all the English batsmen early, so if they can catch well and have the fields in the right places, they’ll be a chance to make inroads,” he said.
“If England are going to play their aggressive style of cricket, they’ll need to execute it really well otherwise there will be opportunities that are created.
“In the conditions we have out here, even when the ball is 20 or 30 overs old, it’ll still bounce (and) it’ll still carry, especially in Perth and Brisbane where they’re starting.
“Those couple of games at the start will be interesting. It will be interesting to see if they play both the quicks at once or they try and share the load between them, then leave Carse, Atkinson and whoever else can fill that breach when the real quicks aren’t playing.”
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