Former Australian legend Jason Gillespie pointed out the mistake England made in their team selection for the first Ashes Test while he said he couldn’t understand why England had not picked any wrist spinner.
Former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie on Sunday highlighted the mistake England made in their team selection for the first Ashes Test.
Gillespie said that the “biggest concern” for the visitors is not their fast bowling but it’s the spin department.
England added Jack Leach in the Brisbane Test and dropped out pacers Stuart Broad and James Anderson from the playing XI in the opening Test.
The left-arm spinner just took one wicket for Joe Root and gave away 102 runs in 13 overs at an economy rate of 7.8.
Australia won the first match and takes a lead of 1-0 in the five-match series.
Gillespie said that the home team will always take on their finger spinners as the pitches in Australia don’t offer much spin.
“The biggest bowling concern for Joe Root is not in the seam department. It’s what they’re going to do with regards to spin. Australians always have and always will take on finger spin because it doesn’t offer a hell of a lot. The policy is to go hard at it,”
Gillespie wrote in his column for dailymail.co.uk.
“You didn’t have to be Einstein to see that Jack Leach would be lined up to be pummeled. He’s not a big turner of the ball, the Gabba doesn’t have huge straight boundaries, so of course, the Australians were looking to beat him,
he added.
He said he couldn’t understand why England had not picked any wrist-spinner in their squad for the Ashes series.
He further expressed that if off-spinner Dom Bess is included in England playing XI for the second Test, then the 24-year old would get the same treatment as Jack Leach from the Aussie batters.
“If Dom Bess comes in, he can expect the same treatment. I can’t comprehend why wrist-spinner Mason Crane wasn’t picked for Australian conditions,”
wrote Gillespie.
Gillespie also praised Australia spinner Nathan Lyon who crossed 400 Test wickets milestones in the Gabba Test after picking four wickets in the second innings.
“Like a finger spinner, Nathan Lyon is an outlier. He is one of the greats of the game as a 400-wicket bowler, but even then, they only come around every 67 balls,”
added Gillespie.
The second Test game will be played on December 16 at the Adelaide Oval.