‘It was hardcore’: Inside Aussies’ fiery Ashes net — and what we learned from final session

Marnus Labuschagne marked his crease with vigour, flexed his muscles and then bellowed down the pitch in the Perth Stadium nets on Wednesday morning.

“Let’s GO, Hustler,” he roared, before taking guard to some spirited throw downs from former Aussie great Mike Hussey.

In truth, the Australians had already been underway for 30 minutes in a delayed preparatory session leading into the defence of the Urn beginning on Friday in Western Australia before Labuschagne’s chance to bat occurred.

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When the Aussies first stepped outside to bat under darkening skies, they were swiftly sent back inside under Occupational Health and Safety guidelines when thunder boomed in the distance and lightning struck within 10km of the ground.

But the booms that followed once training resumed were sourced from a stirring session featuring champion paceman Mitchell Starc and prospective debutants Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald.

Reading too much into training sessions when it comes to selection can be fraught with danger, but Australia’s main net session on Wednesday provided more than a weather alert.

It demonstrated Doggett, who was first called into an Australian squad seven years ago, is an exceptionally good bowler, so good that he was almost too hot to handle at stages on Wednesday.

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Starc, too, looks in extremely good rhythm as he shapes to lead the Australian bowling attack in the absence of injured champions Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Having weathered a withering spell from the pair, who exchanged deliveries in conjunction with star off-spinner Nathan Lyon, Weatherald now awaits a note as to whether he will debut.

With Steve Smith and Cameron Green receiving throw downs on either side of Weatherald, this was a session where his merit and nerve were put to a significant stress test.

“I bowled a little bit to him today and it was a pretty hardcore net today with Doggy and myself, but he looks like he is pretty assured in what he wants to get done,” Starc said.

Mark Wood may bowl like lightning and Jofra Archer has a boom about him as well, but as auditions go, it is doubtful Weatherald will face a sterner test in the middle than the one he faced on Wednesday should his chance arise.

Because when the Australians were allowed to train once the threat of thunder and lightning cleared, Starc in particular looked very, very frightening indeed in a venomous spell.

At one stage he rapped Weatherald, who was exchanging places in the net with Usman Khawaja, crisply on the hip pointer, drawing a yelp from the Northern Territorian.

Starc was quick to inquire if Weatherald was OK. One suspects that even if the 31-year-old was not feeling fine, he would have gritted his teeth regardless. He soldiered on.

And so did Starc. Not long after he almost cut Khawaja in half with a bouncer that had the veteran opener ducking and diving as Hussey declared; “I don’t miss that, Starcy.”

Starc, who took a wicket with the opening ball of the Ashes played in Australia four years ago, kept a close eye on Doggett as he continued to beat the bat with precision and pace.

While Australia would prefer Cummins, who reportedly pulled up well from a good session on Monday but did not bowl on Wednesday, and Hazlewood to be playing, Starc is confident in the nation’s bowling stocks, with Scott Boland and Michael Neser also in action in the nets.

“Sadly injuries in fast bowling happen and it just so happens that we are two men down heading into the first Test,” Starc said.

“But (it is) good to see the depth in the squad. We know what Scotty Boland can do. Doggy is coming off a hot streak at the moment, and ‘Ness’ has been around for a while.

“I think we’re all pretty clear on what our roles are. Obviously I’ve got a little bit more experience there but Scotty’s been around for a fair while now, so I’m not telling him what to do, (and) we have got Pat in the sheds with us anyway.

“I may take on a little bit of more of an experienced role, if you like, but we’ve all been around the tracks for a while, so it’s just (about) sticking together as a group.”

The Australian team was a study in contrasts on Wednesday during a nets session lasting 90 minutes, which followed an earlier fielding session of 30 minutes or so on Perth Stadium in which Beau Webster spent time in and out of the cordon.

They later batted in groups and predominantly in the positions they will fill on Friday, selection depending, of course.

Khawaja and Weatherald, Smith and Green were in first. Labuschagne, who will either open or bat at No.3, came in 30 minutes in and netted with Travis Head, Alex Carey and Beau Webster.

Starc, who will bat at No.8 after happily handing it over to Cummins for a period, was next in before holding court with a large contingent of press in the middle of Perth Stadium at 1pm.

Smith, who as is his custom spent the longest of any of the Australians in the nets but largely kept to himself when batting, made his sound through the clip of ball on bat. And once into rhythm, his timing was sweet.

The champion has appeared at ease since returning home from New York and Starc believes his New South Wales and Australian teammate is in a good place at the moment as he resumes the captaincy.

“I’m not going to pretend to know what his approach to batting is (but) I think he’s a lot more relaxed as a person all round,” Starc said.

“You would probably have to ask him the particular reasons around that but I think even the times that he’s captained when he’s had to fill in for Pat and whatnot, I think (he’s employed) a different approach.

“I’ve obviously spent a lot of time playing with Steve and playing under Steve as captain and I think he’s still as sharp as ever with his mind about what he wants to achieve or how he thinks about the game of cricket, but I just think particularly off the field he is a little bit more relaxed in his approach.

“He’s still that competitive beast and still wants to be the best, and still will leave no stone unturned, but I think he’s finding a few outlets to actually switch off from time to time.”

If Smith was almost silent, Labuschagne was a one-man show, bantering away with all and sundry, all in all in good spirits after a splendid start to the summer in domestic cricket.

A Yin and Yang contrast was evident when Carey and Head were batting side-by-side as well. The former kept his counsel while facing Hussey, while the latter cursed and chuckled in equal measure.

Boland, too, looked impressive when bowling alongside Neser. The Victorian paceman had Beau Webster twisting and turning in a spirited session to show he is on track for Friday.

Back to Weatherald, who is said to be a man on a mission in the nets, a batter who loves the chance to test his mettle, and that opportunity has presented at length throughout the week in Perth as he seeks to earn a Baggy Green.

When he was facing the quicks, he would stand about 10cm out of the crease before taking an initial step before rolling into a forward motion. Khawaja, in contrast, had his back foot firmly behind the crease.

Against Lyon, with whom he exchanged fist pumps and chit-chat during an engaging session, Weatherald straddled the crease, dancing back and forth depending on the delivery that was to come.

Not everything was middled. Doggett bowled him. Starc struck him. And Lyon snared an edge or two. But he also impressed Starc with his method and intent.

“I haven’t seen a lot of him play. I haven’t played with (him) or played much at all against him,” Starc said.

“But he certainly comes across as someone who knows his game plan and knows what he wants to get done. If he gets the nod this week, I’m sure (he will be ready).”