LONDON: England and Australia have vowed to remain loyal to their contrasting tactical approaches, setting up the prospect of another thrilling Ashes clash in the second Test at Lord’s starting Wednesday.

Australia, bidding for a first Ashes series win in England in 22 years, went 1-0 up in a five-match campaign with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first Test at Edgbaston last week.

Attention soon turned to England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach, even though this was only their third defeat in 14 Tests since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces last year.

Several former England Test cricketers suggested Stokes’s side had been too gung-ho in Birmingham, notably in declaring on the first day at 393-8.

Australia, however, are the world Test champions and there is no guarantee a more orthodox approach would have had led to greater success -- after all it was while playing in such a traditional style that England won just one out of 17 Tests before Stokes succeeded Joe Root as red-ball skipper.

On Tuesday, budding seamer Josh Tongue replaced Moeen Ali in England’s team for the second Ashes Test.

Moeen suffered a burst blister on his right index finger at Edgbaston.

Worcestershire paceman Tongue, 25, is preferred to the express pace of Mark Wood for the match.

Seamer Chris Woakes and leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed were also overlooked in preference of Tongue, who impressed with a maiden five-wicket haul on his debut against Ireland earlier this month.

“We needed to get to Lord’s first and see what conditions we were faced with,” Stokes said on Tuesday.

“We wanted to play Mark Wood but we felt while he could definitely start the game, we felt an extra week of build-up and loading him would give him a better chance to play fully from Headingley [third Test] onwards.

“And we brought Tonguey into the team as a like-for-like with Woody. I’m looking forward to seeing Tonguey continue his great start he had against Ireland here.”

Responding to his selection, Tongue said it was a “dream come true”.

Tongue only learned he would be playing at Lord’s prior to the practice session on Tuesday.

“I’ve dreamt as a young kid growing up about playing in an Ashes series so to get the nod now is that dream come true,” the pacer said.

Speaking about Moeen, Stokes said: “We turned up here and have seen a lot of grass on the wicket, it is a bit green.

“Traditionally Lord’s offers more for seamers and with how Moeen’s finger has recovered, actually recovered really well, I thought we would get more with four seamers.”

CUMMINS BACKS SMITH, LABUSCHAGNE TO SHINE

Australian captain Pat Cumm­ins has forecast a “big week” for leading batsmen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne in the second Test.

Smith and Labuschagne managed just 35 runs between them across four innings in the first Test at Edgbaston last week.

“History would suggest Marnus and Smithy rarely miss out, so I am expecting a big week from them,” Cummins said at Lord’s on Tuesday.

Cummins has yet to name his side, although he did reveal Mitchell Starc has been drafted into the squad, with the quick competing for a place in the XI with Scott Boland.

“We will have another look at the wicket and make a final decision tomorrow,” said the skipper.

Veteran Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon is set to become the first specialist bowler to appear in 100 consecutive Tests, with the 35-year-old also just five short of the landmark figure of 500 Test wickets.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2023