England legend Kevin Pietersen believes the first morning of an Ashes series is key.
The difficult part is settling in, settling into the rhythm and motion of the game. Until you start, the morning is very jittery.
For the youngsters who have not played in an Ashes series, it’s the joy and jubilation. But for some players who have mental scarring from previous defeats this morning can be really tough.
England’s positive start on Day 1 – Ashes latest
It’s the anticipation that it cannot happen again.
But the best players can put the noise to one side and turn up and say ‘well I’m a batter I’ve got to go out there and bat’, or ‘I’m a bowler and I’ve got to go out there and bowl’.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Your career is defined as an English or Australian player by that little trophy.
So will Bazball bring home that tiny urn is the question that everyone is asking, and if it doesn’t work, will Ben Stokes change things up?
He says not, but Eoin Morgan says there will be subtle moves.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
“As a leader you’re always looking for moments when you can pull strings or play cards. He’s continued to do that in the last 12 months and we will continue to see that every 15 or 20 mins.
“He will look to make a play here and there, looking to upset Australia who will want to play a long game of test match cricket and England will look to speed things up.”
Read more:
England and Australia cricket stars pay tribute to victims of Nottingham attacks
England cricket team bus blocked by Just Stop Oil protesters
Kevin Pietersen hopes Bazball does work for the sake of entertainment.
He said: “Our 1,2,3 were good players, Trescothick, Strauss, Vaughan, absolute quality, high quality and I just don’t think England have that quality in the top order.
“My concern is that England’s 1,2 and 3 are not as good as Australia’s, nowhere near. They have superstars in their batting line up but it’s a huge opportunity for these guys and I’d love them to prove me wrong.”
