"Unfortunately England have decided to rest them" - Shane Warne questions England for dropping both James Anderson and Stuart Broad for the first Ashes Test
Former Australian great Shane Warne blasted England's decision to drop both of their veteran pacers from the first Ashes Test in Brisbane. Shane Warne believes England should've exploited the conditions on offer by slotting in at least one of James Anderson or Stuart Broad.
On an overcast morning in Brisbane, England captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat first. However, the tourists' decision to drop both their leading wicket-takers drew several questions. Instead, England went with Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood in their pace-bowling unit.
Joe Root wins the toss and chooses to bat first. Will that be the right call?
The players are out in the middle #Ashes
Speaking to Fox Cricket, Shane Warne felt England had a chance to put pressure on Australia as James Anderson and Stuart Broad would've been dangerous on the green wicket. He disagreed with the decision to rest the two pace veterans and said:
"It’s huge. It’s one of those things, you would have thought the think tank of the England squad would have been, ‘Let’s hit Australia first up’. It looks overcast at the Gabba, the pitch looks green, Anderson and Broad together, strike while the iron’s hot. Broad’s had the wood on Warner so if I was going to rest them and keep them for as many Test matches as you can, play them in the first couple."
England's 12-man squad for the first Test had already seen James Anderson's name on the sidelines, with an eye on the pink-ball Test. However, Broad remained in the frame to play in Brisbane before the tourists dropped a bombshell.
"I would have been hitting them right between the eyes with Anderson and Broad" - Shane Warne
Warne further claimed that the decorated pace-bowling pair should've played in Brisbane and Adelaide, rotating them thereafter. The Victorian feels that England needed to pile pressure on Australia, who lost to India at the same venue earlier this year.
"I would have thought play the Gabba, play at Adelaide and then if you have to mix and match a bit and rest and rotate, then so be it. Australia lost a Test at the Gabba last summer (against India) for the first time in over 30 years, I would have been hitting them right between the eyes with Anderson and Broad but unfortunately they (England) have decided to rest them."
While Root won the crucial toss, England were unable to capitalize on it. Mitchell Starc castled Rory Burns in the first ball of the Test, while the skipper himself departed for a duck. Ben Stokes and Dawid Malan also perished for single-figure scores to leave the tourists four down within a session.