Ashes: Why England May Rue Leaving Jimmy Anderson And Stuart Broad Out Of First Test

England were comprehensively beaten in the first Ashes Test against Australia last week. A nine-wicket defeat compounded many issues that perhaps we had already known.

Australia only needed 20 runs to win the Test, but they rattled off that target with consummate ease. Of course, the defeat compounded the fissures that arose in the England squad from a performance level.

The tourists may have felt slightly undercooked in the build-up, but an issue that was well documented, was their struggles with the bat. Going into the first Test, England hadn’t won a Test overseas, since they beat India back in February.

However, one of their main flaws has been their inability to pile on the runs. Usually, in the first innings of any given Test, posting 400 runs or more is considered competitive. Yes, of course, England were in the cauldron of the Gabba, where their record has been wretched.

But perhaps the biggest storyline was that Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad were both excluded from the line-up. Let’s not forget that these two pre-eminent fast bowlers have amassed over 1,000 Test wickets between them.

Anderson and Broad are both well versed in generating swing, and they would have the likes of David Warner under the pump early on in an innings.

Although Ollie Robinson was the pick of the England bowlers in the first Test as he finished off with four wickets, too often the tourists let themselves down with their line and length.

Jack Leach was targeted by the Aussies, who frequently came down the ground to launch him out of the park, but not seeing Anderson and Broad would have given the hosts a huge lift.

Anderson and Broad have been a near permanent fixture over the past decade or so for England, and they have both been masters of their art.

However, with Adelaide on the horizon, and moving forward, Anderson and Broad can’t be left out again. In the run-up to the Ashes, there had been question marks over England’s chances. There had been a frenzied interest from fans, as well as from a betting perspective. Most of the bookmaker sites in Australia are flooded with match markets, so for example, at PalmerBet, you can get short odds on Australia to win the Ashes, while Pat Cummins has been installed as the favourite to finish the series as the Ashes top wicket taker.

There could well be plenty of twists and turns, and Broad even admitted he was raring to go before the Ashes started.

He said: “Over the past 12 months, Jimmy Anderson and I tried to ensure we were as fit as could be in the current Covid climate, ready to go and available for all five Tests in Australia. I think we ticked that box.

“I’ve been left out on numerous occasions and sometimes it comes as a real surprise. This was less of a surprise, maybe because I wasn’t in the team for the previous series against India due to a calf injury.

“Of course, I was disappointed not to play but I also realise this series is a marathon and not a sprint.”

Leaving Broad and Anderson would have come as a shock to the England fans, and they are talismanic figures. Their experience is invaluable, and they are usually relied upon to pull England out of some sticky situations.

England can’t afford to make the same mistake again with Anderson and Broad. Otherwise, they will lament it, and it will be one of their biggest regrets of the Ashes.