Brisbane: Joe Root’s tourists will have to conquer England’s historical psychological demons at the ‘Gabbatoir’ if they are to avoid another potentially fatal start to their Ashes campaign this week.
The Woolloongabba Ground here – an Aboriginal word for ‘fighting place’ or just ‘The Gabba’ as it’s commonly known – is Australia’s intimidating fortress and a theatre of nightmares for visiting England teams.
The Australians have not lost a Gabba Test since November 1988. England last won there in the days of Ian Botham 31 years ago and they have won only four of the 20 Tests that they have played at the venue.
“Yes, definitely our record has not been good there (Gabba),” fast bowler Stuart Broad said recently. “But then we as cricketers don’t keep numbers in our heads when we are in the middle. Our basic aim is perform on that particular day,” he added.
If something can go horribly wrong for England at the outset of an Ashes series in Australia, it usually occurs at the Gabba. And in any Ashes series, the moment one team get the upper hand, it is difficult for the other to comeback.
“We understand the value of the first Test,” Aussie skipper Steve Smith told reporters here, Monday. “It goes a long way in shaping the future of the series. So we are going to give it our all,” he asserted.
On England’s last visit to the Gabba, firebrand Mitchell Johnson captured nine wickets to blast out Alastair Cook’s team for 136 and 179 leading to a whopping 381-run defeat. Johnson has long been gone, but then in Mitchell Starc, the hosts have found the perfect replacement. And Starc has Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to unleash the pace demons on England.
England have their pacers too, but both James Anderson and Broad are technical fast bowlers – players who do not rely on sheer pace. However, England’s plans have taken a beating due to the unavailability of Ben Stokes and the sudden injury to his replacement Steven Finn. Skipper Joe Root is aware of the problems, but is showing enough bravado before the ‘horrors of the Gabbatoir’ begin Thursday.
“People will have to step up, it is as simple as that,” Root was quoted by a section of the Aussie media here Monday. “The Ashes is the biggest for any England or Australian cricketer. You are remembered more for your Ashes deeds than any other accomplishment,” he added.
Bottomline however, is the ‘Gabbatoir’ will certainly reshape a few careers when the game begins, Thursday.
Agencies