Cummins is a doubt due to covid close contact. 4 hours 'til start......
I really cannot see how he can play now. A negative Covid test and 7 days isolation is the norm now and to allow him to play would bend the rules to the extent that none of the authorities will be comfortable with.
Following the absence of Hazlewood and now Cummins, the fact that Starc was the worst of the quicks in the 1st Test plus conditions likely to suit our seamers, we will not have a better opportunity to win a Test in this series.
Pink ball will suit Starc so he will be dangerous but if the Aussies are missing both Hazlewood AND Cummins, that could be a bigger slice of luck than we had dreamed of.
Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were also at the same restaurant last night. But because they sat outside, they are not “close contacts” and they do not need to quarantine.
Always easy with hindsight so I'm not digging Cummins out, but thst does seem an odd decision to go an sit inside the day before a Test match. I bet it wasn't cold!
Seb and Jas already bought tickets for today but they were, apparently in the Gods. Zak Crawley, however, has given them his allocated family tickets for free and they are now at the front. It's not what you know is it!
Will we have a better opportunity to get a test win in Australia… hazlewood AND Cummins out.
On the night shift looking after some post orthopaedic surgery dogs who are currently all snoozing away. Hopefully I don’t have to put up with Steve Smith sending me to sleep my batting for the next 8 hours.
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Cummins is a doubt due to covid close contact. 4 hours 'til start......
Following the absence of Hazlewood and now Cummins, the fact that Starc was the worst of the quicks in the 1st Test plus conditions likely to suit our seamers, we will not have a better opportunity to win a Test in this series.
Anderson will be back in the side with a decision to be made over who to leave out between Leach, Woakes and Broad.
England in to 3.1 (2/1) from earlier being 4.0 (3/1).
Draw has also come in slightly from 8.0 (7/1) to 7.2 (6/1).
Five seam attack of Anderson, Broad, Robinson, Woakes and Stokes is about as strong as you ask?
England: Burns, Hameed, Malan, Root (c), Stokes, Pope, Buttler (wk), Woakes, Robinson, Broad, Anderson
hazlewood AND Cummins out.
Jimmy maiden to Harris - beating the bat across the left hander.
Broad raps Warner on the pads from round the wicket but it's a bit too high for lbw. Back to back maiden overs.
Harris 3 (25)
Warner 0 (12)
Anderson 3-2-3-0
Broad 3-2-1-0
Jos Buttler has Harris caught down the leg side off Broad.
4-1.
Harris 3 (28) c Buttler b Broad