Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson believes that England should be brave with the bat if wish to make a turnaround in the remaining Ashes series.
“If England are to turn things around in this Ashes series their batsmen are going to have to be braver. So far, and especially in the second Test in Adelaide, the intent has just not been there. They have had a very defensive mindset. When you are batting at your best, you are always looking to score, even if someone bowls really well. The energy that you have at the crease to put pressure on the bowling side is all-important,” wrote Watson in his column for The Times on Thursday.
“What has really blown me away is to see the defensive way in which Ben Stokes has batted. I’m gobsmacked. It goes against everything that he is – the person he is, the player he is. It is obviously a tactic because of his big back-and-across movements to the quick bowlers; he’s just not trying to score.”
Watson thinks that lack of preparation might be the reason behind Stokes being away from his usual self on-field.
“I’m racking my brain as to why this would be his game plan. I think it is perhaps because he has come into the series underdone in terms of preparation. Maybe he’s trying to find his way into the series by spending time in the middle. But the Australian bowlers are just dictating play. They can bowl wherever they want. He’s not going to score. At some stage he is going to get out and without having really made an impact on the scoreboard,” he wrote.
Australia are leading the five-match Ashes series 2-0 and they had dominated England in both the matches.
