News24
21 Aug 2019, 11:42 GMT+10
Sydney - Australia captain Tim Paine says the tourists will not be intimidated by England fast bowler Jofra Archer and has backed misfiring batsman David Warner to hit form in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.
Paine was full of praise for Archer, whose raw pace electrified the drawn second Test as he took five wickets and peppered the Australians with bouncers, leaving Steve Smith with concussion that has ruled him out of the match in Leeds.
But Paine said Australia's batsmen were used to facing pace and had a few useful speedsters of their own.
"It's fantastic to see a young cricketer with so much talent come onto the scene and it was a bit of a buzz to face him at Lord's," Paine wrote in a column for the Australian newspaper.
"He's fast for sure, but in Australia we've been brought up facing guys of his pace.
"Every time we have a net (session) we have Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson coming at us like we are the opposition."
Paine said Smith's replacement Marnus Labuschagne, who scored 59 when he came on as Test cricket's inaugural concussion substitute, showed the depth of Australia's squad.
He was unconcerned about Warner's lack of form, which has seen the left-hander score only 18 runs in four innings.
"David Warner hasn't hit his straps yet and I notice people getting a bit trigger happy on that subject, but I am not worried," he wrote.
"We are 1-0 up in the series and he hasn't got out of the blocks. He is a match winner... he is also the most mentally tough cricketer I know. He is due a score and that is a dividend I am looking forward to."
Meanwhile, former Australia paceman Andy Bichel has labelled England captain Joe Root a "blatant cheat" over a disputed catch on the final day of the second Test.
Root took a low catch to end Labuschagne's innings, with replays suggesting the ball may have bounced first, although the England skipper later insisted it had carried.
"It didn't carry. We can see that," Bichel told Macquarie Sports Radio.
"It's ricocheted off the player as well so it's bobbled a little bit to him, so therefore he'd know if he's picked it up on the half volley -- it's blatant cheating."
The third Test begins on Thursday.
Get a daily dose of Australian Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Australian Herald.
More InformationATLANTA, Georgia: The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases so...
In the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
LONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
Kingston [Jamaica], July 12 (ANI): Australia's Test captain Pat Cummins is set to sit out next month's white-ball series against South...
Kingston [Jamaica], July 12 (ANI): The combination of the pink ball and the conditions at Sabina Park has prompted Australia to reassess...
(Photo credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Steve Allan of Australia rode a red-hot start to a...
London [UK], July 11 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday provided an update on India's swashbuckling...
London [UK], July 11 (ANI): Former Indian skipper Anil Kumble praised all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as a promising all-round option...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Ahead of his 100th Test of his career, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc said it's quite funny that...