Australia vs England, Perth Test: Presenting key player matchups
What's the story
The highly anticipated Ashes series between Australia and England is set to kick off on November 21 at Perth Stadium. England, who eye their first Test win Down Under in over a decade, are set with a power-packed side. Meanwhile, Australia will miss the injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Steve Smith will lead the Aussies in Perth. Here are the key player matchups.
#1
Usman Khawaja vs Mark Wood
A lot will depend on which team draws first blood in Perth. The openers will certainly be wary of the lively surface on offer. If Australia bat first, it will be interesting to see how an experienced Usman Khawaja battles it out against a fiery Mark Wood. Khawaja, who is vulnerable outside the off-stump, has been dismissed thrice in eight meetings by Wood.
#2
Steve Smith vs Jofra Archer
The sights of Smith sustaining blows from a fired-up Jofra Archer from the 2019 series are still fresh in the Ashes fraternity. The rivalry will renew in Perth as Archer would want to make the most of this bouncy track. Despite troubling the Aussie batter, Archer hasn't dismissed him across 164 balls. The tally includes 121 dot balls.
#3
Joe Root vs Mitchell Starc
After shattering a ton of records in the past few years, Joe Root is set for his final frontier - scoring a century Down Under. Despite a stellar career, Root is yet to score a Test century in Australia. And Australia's Mitchell Starc will have no qualms attempting to stop Root. After all, he has dismissed Root eight times across 31 innings.
#4
Ben Stokes vs Nathan Lyon
Australia's bid to keep spinner Nathan Lyon in the XI regardless of the pitch continues. Lyon, Australia's most successful off-spinner in Tests, has always been a valuable asset at any stage of the game. He could be a nightmare for England captain Ben Stokes, who has fallen to the off-spinner a total of nine times in 30 innings.