England’s Carse to brace for pace battle

Brydon Carse believes England can once again hit Australia with pace in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.

The tourists suffered a crushing defeat in the first Test, though on the opening day in Perth returned the highest collective average speed recorded by an England attack.

England are set to be without their fastest bowler Mark Wood for Thursday’s second Test, a day-nighter.

Asked whether England can recreate the pace of the Perth first innings, Carse told BBC Sport: “I’d like to think so. We take a lot of confidence individually and as a group, and we’re really excited for what this week has to offer.

“It’s exciting. It’s special to be part of a pace attack like that. Going forward into this week and for the remainder of the series, we’ve certainly got players and bowlers that are exciting and can hopefully change games.”

England dismissed Australia for 132 in the first innings, but struggled to back up their collective pace in the second as the hosts raced to their victory target of 205 in 28.2 overs.

One factor was the lack of rest given to the bowlers. England bowled twice on the second day after being dismissed in 34.4 overs in their second innings.

In the aftermath of the Perth defeat, the first two-day Ashes Test for 104 years, England head coach Brendon McCullum highlighted the need for batters to give bowlers longer to recuperate.

“The volume of overs we bowled in that first innings wasn’t as it would be in a normal full day,” said Carse, who has taken 41 wickets in his 10 Tests.

“There is no excuse there, having to bowl on day two. I’m sure as the series goes on, those rest days will become important. It’s something we’ll assess, nearer to the time and on the situation of the game.”

Wood is unlikely to feature in Brisbane because of soreness in the left knee upon which he had surgery in March.

In Wood’s absence, England could again go for an all-pace attack and bring Josh Tongue into the side. If they opt for a spinner, Shoaib Bashir has been their recent first-choice, while Will Jacks offers all-round cover. (BBC sport)