Ashes 2019 | Jofra Archer could threaten Steve Smith with his bowling, reckons Mike Gatting
Mike Gatting has stated that Jofra Archer can turn out to be the key for England in breaking through Steven Smith’s strong guard considering the way he bowls with pace at the wickets and can move the ball as well. He further discussed Smith’s great form and England’s worrying loss in the first Test.
After a dominant display by Australia in the first Test match particularly with the bat, England need to work on a way to get back soon as they face off in the second Test starting on August 14. However, with James Anderson getting injured in the match, Olly Stones sidelined during training and Mark Wood still recovering from the strain he suffered in the World Cup final, the responsibility will most likely fall on youngster Jofra Archer’s shoulders to lead the way with the new ball for the hosts.
The 24-year-old has an astounding 131 wickets in 28 first-class matches and former England skipper Mike Gatting backs him to carry the momentum with the Duke’s ball into the Ashes.
“We have not seen him (Jofra Archer) bowl much with the red ball—the way he swings it. The pace is certainly there. Maybe because he bowls wicket-to-wicket he could be one of the guys who might threaten Steve Smith. If he gets (the ball) around the off-stump nipping just a bit with speed of 90 miles an hour; he is in such good nick (that) he might have an impact,” Gatting was reported saying by Hindustan Times on Thursday.
Smith is easily England’s biggest threat at the moment after the Australian made twin centuries in his comeback match for the Kangaroos, scoring a total of 286 runs in the match without seeming to be troubled much by the English bowlers.
“He is difficult to bowl at. One thing he does is (he) gets his head still on the off-stump and he is good at manoeuvring the ball around, which is a great skill. And yes, without doubt, he has made a huge impression this Ashes series. It is just a question of whether we can get him out early,” Gatting said.
The hosts will need to recover quickly after succumbing to an embarrassing 251-run defeat in the opening Test at Edgbaston, their first loss at the venue against their archrivals in 18 years.
“I think England have got a huge hill to climb now. I still think it is going to be an interesting series because every Test match is going to have a result. It is going to be about who does recover quickly after every match,” Gatting said.
In a track that turned spinner friendly day-by-day and saw Nathan Lyon pick up nine wickets, England’s only spinner Moeen Ali could only add three scalps to his tally while going for 172 runs in the match.
“For England, they will have to get players finding form soon. What really worries me is Moeen Ali has not bowled very well. It certainly would have been better for him had he bowled well at Edgbaston,” Gatting concluded on the matter.