England Face Uphill Battle in Ashes Second Test at Brisbane’s Gabba

Brisbane: England head into the day-night second Ashes Test against Australia at the Gabba on Thursday needing a rare victory to stay alive in the five-match series.

Australia, 1-0 up after an eight-wicket demolition of England inside two days in Perth, are again without captain Pat Cummins and pacer Josh Hazlewood. This leaves Mitchell Starc, known for his swing under lights, to lead the attack in humid Brisbane conditions.

England, who collapsed in just four hours from a winning position in Perth, face the daunting prospect of going 2-0 down with three matches to play. They may also be without pace spearhead Mark Wood, nursing a knee injury.

Captain Ben Stokes said England have moved on from Perth and are focusing on preparation, including extra training sessions in Brisbane, though history weighs heavily. England haven’t won a Test in Australia since the 2010-11 tour, losing 14 and drawing two. At the Gabba, their last victory came 39 years ago, and they have lost all three previous day-night Tests against Australia.

Australia’s dominance under lights is clear: they have won 13 of 14 pink-ball Tests worldwide, with only one defeat at the Gabba to the West Indies last year.

England fast bowler Brydon Carse highlighted the challenge posed by the pink ball: “On an evening it does seem to do a little bit more, especially if you have a slightly newer ball.”

Selection questions loom for both sides. England may replace Wood with seamer Josh Tongue, or bring in a spinner such as Shoaib Bashir or Will Jacks, the latter providing batting depth.

Read more: Ashes Series: First Test Ends on Day Two as Australia Beat England by 8 Wickets

For Australia, captain Steve Smith is likely to retain an unchanged squad, with only the opening position under scrutiny. Travis Head, who scored a blistering 123 off 83 balls in Perth, may open alongside Jake Weatherald, potentially moving Cameron Green up the order and bringing seamer Beau Webster at number six.

Marnus Labuschagne, who opened in Perth for the struggling Usman Khawaja, said the batting order would be decided game by game and backed Khawaja to perform on home soil. Head also emphasized his flexibility: “I feel I can play in any role. The traditionalists will say that’s how it’s got to be. It’s ever evolving and we’ll see where we get to.”

Australia squad: Steve Smith (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Harry Brook, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood