da casino： England’s Ashes newcomers in the middle order, James Vince and Dawid Malan, are happy to let Australia do the talking in the build up to the first Test
da betcris： George Dobell in Brisbane20-Nov-2017England’s “unknowns” are happy to let Australia do the talking ahead of the Ashes, feeling the hosts will have “put themselves under a lot pressure” if they don’t start the series well.England have been dismissed as something approaching no-hopers from the moment they arrived in Australia without Ben Stokes. They have heard David Warner talk of going to “war” against them, Pat Cummins talk of replicating Mitchell Johnson’s demolition and Nathan Lyon talk of “opening scars”. “Average Joe” was the headline reflecting Joe Root’s first innings of the tour in Perth.And they expect no different on Thursday when a full-house Gabba – you’re almost as likely to find a unicorn as an unbooked hotel room in Brisbane this week – lets them know exactly what they think of them in an atmosphere that will be hostile and noisy. The memory of tens of thousands of spectators chanting “Broad is a w***er” or rhyming Trott with “vagina rot” lingers.But, as far as a couple of England’s unheralded players see it, such talk can work against Australia unless they can back it up almost immediately. For having built up the expectation of their supporters, Australia might be made to feel uncomfortable if they are unable to deliver. England’s newer players, meanwhile, say they are happy to go “under the radar”.”The way they are talking means that, if they don’t come out and start well, they put themselves under a lot of pressure,” James Vince said. “They’ve got to back up their chat. And if they don’t the crowd might wonder why they haven’t done what they said they were going to do.”The first game is key in any series. You want to get off to a good start as it sets you up for the rest of the series. If we can do that, as some of the guys have said, maybe it will turn their own fans and their own media on them.”Dawid Malan expressed a similar view. While admitting he found the ground “a bit daunting” – “It’s a big ground,” he said as he looked around the Gabba for the first time. “I thought the seats would be further from the playing surface; standing on the boundary you’re almost in the crowd” – he said the England team were happy to let their cricket do the talking.”We’ve hardly been in the media,” Malan said. “We’ve gone under the radar a little bit. And we’re actually quite happy not being in the spotlight.”We’re going about our business quite quietly. We’ll let the Aussies do the talking. We’ll focus on what we can do and if people want to speak they can speak.”If they want to make comments like that then they have to back it up. We are just going to stick to what we do and see what happens at the end of five Tests. We’ve all faced quick bowling in our careers and we’ve all faced bowlers bowling short.”Ashes splashes: James Vince, Jake Ball and Dawid Malan check out the Gabba pool•Getty Images
Both know what to expect from the crowd at the “Gabbattoir”. While some, including Root, have been taken by surprise at the level of hostility encountered, this England squad insist they are prepared for the pace of the pitch, the hostility of the bowling and the abuse from the crowd.Vince was on a Lions tour of Australia during the 2013-14 Ashes. As a result, he took the opportunity to attend as a spectator and knows what to expect from the crowd. And, if he really enjoys “getting a bit of stick”, as he claims, he should be in for a treat.”You know what stick you’re going to get,” he said. “All the abuse. When you’re in the middle you have to block it out and get on with your game but at other times you have to lap it up and enjoy it. I’m looking forward to it. It’s good fun getting a bit of stick.””I’ve never played in front of 40,000 people so it is going to be a first for me,” Malan added. “I spoke to Rooty about his first Test here and he said the occasion really got to him.”He said the first innings he had was all a bit of a blur and his adrenaline got going with the crowd and he ended up playing a shot he wouldn’t have played in a normal situation.”I think Mitchell Johnson took the boys by surprise a bit in 2013-14. They’d obviously played against him before, but he hadn’t bowled as well as he did in that series. When it did hit them it took everyone a bit by surprise.”Coming into this series we are prepared for that. Whether we play it well or not is a different story. But we’ve prepared well for it.”Either way, the tour offers a huge opportunity for both men. As Vince admits, he had not thought his county form had been good enough to warrant selection – he averaged 33 in the Championship – but he knows a good performance here will cement his place at No. 3.”We have plenty to prove,” he said. “But it’s a great opportunity to stake your claim and try to become a regular in the Test side.”I didn’t expect the selection. When the call came, I was delighted. I’m extremely grateful to the coaching staff and Rooty for the opportunity. Now I want to repay some of the faith they’ve shown in me.”Malan, who made his debut in the summer and has only played five Tests, backed that up. “The legacy you can leave from doing well in an Ashes series lives for a long time,” he said. “It does open a lot of doors.”
