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Embarrassing moment exposes Australia's major Ashes 'flaw'

chris young
Sports Reporter

The first two days of the Ashes have hardly gone to plan for Australia, and some fans are laying the blame squarely at the feet of selectors.

The omissions of Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc in favour of Peter Siddle and James Pattinson left plenty of fans puzzled - particularly since it left the team’s bowling stocks relatively bare.

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With only three fast bowlers and a spinner in Nathan Lyon, captain Tim Paine was forced to get creative in order to give his biggest weapons a spell.

This meant former wicketkeeper Matt Wade was called upon to send a few deliveries down - unfortunately, the plan did not get off to a pretty start.

Wade sent his second delivery almost off the pitch.

His only over would end up costing nine runs, while fellow batsman Travis Head also sent three overs down, but without any major errors.

The bowling performance was largely panned, unsurprisingly by the English press most of all.

Matthew Wade, pictured and circled bowling against England, was forced to fill in to spell Australia's main bowling attack,
A slim selection of bowlers for Australia led to batsman Matt Wade sending down one expensive over - much to the delight of English fans. Picture: Channel 9/Wide World of Sports

Describing the four-man bowling team as a ‘flawed selection’, the Daily Mail wrote that if Wade was the answer then ‘the question has probably been lost in translation’.

Speaking to Fox Sports News, former Test captain Allan Border said the choice to drop Starc should be brought into question.

“I was surprised we didn’t go with Starc, a left-armer and strike bowler. Who knows what he would have brought to the table,” Border said.

“At the moment you feel like; ‘geez, I wish we had Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc going into day three.

“I just think Starc’s absence has been that big question mark. He would be in for Siddle.”

Former Test paceman Mitchell Johnson was also unsure why Starc had been left out, saying the left-hander’s swing and aggression would have come in handy.

“I’d always love to see a left-armer and I want to see a fired up Starc that’s swinging the ball,” Johnson told ESPNCricinfo.

“That would be outstanding and maybe something they did need here today.