SECOND ASHES TEST: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Weather, TV times, tips, odds and more ahead of the Adelaide clash

Game on. Australia triumphed in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane but England have an immediate opportunity to respond.

The Aussies have a near impenetrable record at home with a win at the Gabba to their names so the tourists must hit back in Adelaide if they are to take the urn home.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the second Test.

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So what's the occasion?

Now you're just being silly. It's the second Ashes Test between Australia and England, dummy.

Just testing! Where's it being played?

The Adelaide Oval.

When?

The action starts at 2pm local time, which translates into 3.30am GMT for all those early risers out there who need to set an alarm.

Obviously it can last five days but if Mitchell Starc has his way…

So he's playing then? Who else is?

Yes, unsurprisingly the man who took career-best figures of 8-73 on his last visit to Adelaide (with New South Wales against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield in October) is in the team. And, if a video circulating on social media is anything to go by, England better beware.

Starc was seen pounding a bouncer past the nose of his Aussie team-mate Usman Khawaja in the nets this week and it made The Cricketer wobble 10,000 miles away.

As for the rest of the Australian line-up, there are no changes from the first Test. You know, unless one of them trips over a ball in the warm-up and has to be withdrawn a la Glenn McGrath 2005.

For England, Moeen Ali has been a worry with a finger injury but Mason Crane has not been named in their 12-man squad for the game. We’ll find out who is in the final XI when Joe Root heads out for the toss.

Australia XI: Bancroft, Warner, Khawaja, Smith, Handscomb, Marsh, Paine, Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood, Lyon

England squad: Cook, Stoneman, Vince, Root, Malan, Moeen, Bairstow, Woakes, Broad, Ball, Anderson, Overton

 

Great. So what chance do England have?

Well on theory Adelaide, under lights, will most closely resemble English conditions.

That should help Jimmy Anderson in particular, who will be hoping to get that pink ball a-whooping and a-wailing early on.

English conditions hey? You mean rain don't you?

Well not necessarily… Adelaide was going through something of a heatwave before the England team turned up, although it then promptly started to tip it down.

The seamers were in charge in Australia's last day-nighter here, against South Africa, and of all the strips available on this tour Adelaide ought to offer the least pace and the most seam assistance.

Then again, the Gabba is meant to be one of the quickest surfaces in world cricket yet for two days last week it was about as dynamic as a sleepy teenager.

Okay, I'll rephrase… what's the weather going to be like?

Oh. Apologies. It's going to be really very English - a high chance of showers on days one and two, with moderate highs of 22 degrees Celsius. The cloud should burn off by day five, leaving a small smattering of lovely sun-she-ine.

Can I watch it on TV?

Why yes you can. In the UK, you'll need BT Sport 1 (that’s channel 408 for those with BT or TalkTalk TV, 413 on Sky or via the website) and in Oz it's on Channel 9.

^{Steve Smith and the Australian squad in practice}

I don't have BT Sport.

Yeah, that's going to be tricky then. The highlights are also held by BT (and they’ll be showing mid-afternoon on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 3 during this game) though their fine social media team are sharing plenty online.

You can always tune into Test Match Special on Five Live Sports Extra or alternatively join our little Cricketer Twitter gang for updates throughout the game (that's via @TheCricketerMag), and stop by on the site for analysis, reaction, comment and much, much more.

And what if I fancy a dabble?

Australia are well fancied by the bookies and go into the game 4/6 favourites. You can get England at 11/4 and the draw is 5/1. I wouldn't bet on the draw.

And for the series?

Ooooooh. Mr Big Shot! Well if you want to back England right now is as good a time as any and you can get 8/1 on a shock victory. The draw is 12/1. If you want to get on the Aussies, you can find best odds of 2/9. Yeah, the value is not in the outrights here.

Whatever. Who's calling the shots?

You what now?

Who's wearing the white coats?

Ah okay. See what you did there. Marais Erasmus drops to third umpire for this one, leaving Aleem Dar and Chris Gaffaney in the middle.

Thanks.

You're welcome, as ever.

Now... have you ever been headbutted as a hello?

shakes head quietly

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