Ben Stokes Elects to Bat First in Second Ashes Test Against Australia

England's Decision to Bat First

Brisbane [Australia], December 4: In the second Ashes Test held in Brisbane, England's captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first in this day/night match featuring a pink ball.

Australia enters this match following a dominant eight-wicket win in the series opener, which concluded in just two days. The victory was highlighted by a remarkable century from Travis Head and a 10-wicket haul by Mitchell Starc.

Stokes commented on the decision, stating, “We are going to bat. The conditions are different here, and batting first gives us the best chance. We’ve had extra time to prepare for this match, and the team is eager to perform. I’m uncertain about how the wicket will behave; many speculate, but you can only truly assess it once you’re out there. We have a chance to set a solid score right from the start. This week is crucial for my captaincy, especially after last week’s disappointing performance, and we aim to correct those mistakes.”

He added, “If we bat well, we can control the game. We hope to bowl effectively as well. Regarding Cummins, he was close to playing but it would have been a bit risky. Inglis will bat in the middle order, and Neser replaces Lyon. The pink ball tends to behave differently under lights, and while we’ve performed well in the past, this is a fresh game. The atmosphere is expected to be fantastic,” said Australia’s captain Steve Smith.

Teams:

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

Australia (Playing XI): Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey(w), Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.