The fourth Test of the ongoing Ashes 2023 is set to be played between England and Australia at the Old Trafford. Australia are 2-1 ahead in a five-match series and look to be the favourites to retain the Ashes. That said, the way England bounced back in the last match was terrific to watch.
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The first two matches were played on batting-friendly tracks, but then the bowlers had their say in the Leeds Test. It will be interesting to see how the track will fare out in Manchester. England have already decided their Playing XI and they have replaced pacer Ollie Robinson with James Anderson.
Australia are still brainstorming on their team combination. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh scored a century in the last match and has almost sealed his spot in the team. The pitch in Manchester has generally been pace-friendly and they might go into the match without a genuine spinner.
Emirates Old Trafford Manchester Pitch Report
By the look of it, the pitch at Old Trafford is not looking that green. In fact, it’s looking like a flat surface where the batters should again enjoy their time out there in the middle. Anderson plays for Lancashire in domestic cricket and this is his home ground. He knows the conditions exceedingly well and could emerge as a game-changer even in the absence of a lot of grass on the surface.
Wednesday’s weather in Manchester does not look great and with grey skies around. Hence, the fast bowlers are likely to call the shots on Day 1. However, once set, the batters will be able to play their shots here. This is one of those venues where batters can score quick runs. With a good amount of bounce available, the shorter balls may be used in this match as well.
The average first innings score here is 332 runs, whereas the average fourth innings score is just 168 runs. In the last five years, this is the second worst English venue for spinners after Lord’s. The decision at the toss can depend on the weather as none would want to face the new dukes ball in overcast conditions.
Moeen Ali Advocates For Spinners At Old Trafford
Having said that, England all-rounder Moeen Ali told reporters on the eve of the match that a spinner should definitely play at Old Trafford. Apart from Ali, who will be batting at No. 3 in this match as well, former captain Joe Root can also bowl some overs like he has done throughout the series.
“You have to play a spinner in a Test match no matter where it is, in my opinion, but Old Trafford especially.”
The visitors, on the other hand, might look to bring in all-rounder Cameron Green for spinner Todd Murphy. If this happens, they will oppose Ali’s assessment of Manchester pitch by playing taking the field in a Test without any specialist spinner. As a result, one might see the likes of Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne bowling more than usual this week.
