Australia’s sluggish over-rate has become a significant concern on the first day of the pink-ball Ashes Test at the Gabba. The hosts could face substantial penalties if they fail to conclude England’s first innings promptly on Friday morning.
Only 74 overs were bowled on the opening day of the second Test in Brisbane, as Australia’s all-pace attack struggled with the pink Kookaburra, falling short of the required 90 overs. The absence of spinners, particularly veteran Nathan Lyon, who was controversially left out for this day-night contest, contributed to the slow pace.
Former Australian opener Simon Katich, speaking on SEN commentary, criticized the over-rate, which had dropped to minus eight by the end of the day, as “ridiculous.”
“To think we are going to get through an extra half-hour, so six and a half hours’ cricket, and we are going to get 74 overs in,” Katich said. “It’s beyond a joke, an absolute joke.”
Consequences of Slow Over-Rate
The slow over-rate, exacerbated by Lyon’s exclusion, prevented Australia from using the second new ball under floodlights. As a result, fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland were left with a softened Kookaburra while England’s Joe Root and Jofra Archer forged an unbeaten 61-run partnership for the tenth wicket.
Australian captain Steve Smith appeared out of options as the English pair struck three sixes during a late surge, steering England to a solid position at 9-325 at stumps on day one. Former England bowler Isa Guha expressed disappointment on Fox Cricket, noting that the Australians missed the opportunity to bowl with a hard, new ball towards the end of the day.
“Obviously it’s disappointing. It meant they didn’t have a crack with a hard, new ball towards the end of the day. Is that something they’re going to rue when it comes to end of the Test?” Guha questioned.
Accusations of Time-Wasting
Smith’s frequent adjustments to the field during the final hour drew accusations of time-wasting from former England fast bowler Steven Finn. Finn suggested that Australia was deliberately delaying the game to avoid facing the new ball under challenging conditions.
“Smith took a long time to set the field there … he’s now changing the field between balls,” Finn commented on TNT Sports. “Certainly strikes me that this is a good time for Australia to be delaying things.”
Finn continued to emphasize the tactical nature of these delays, urging umpires to intervene as every minute wasted reduced England’s opportunity to bat with the bright pink ball.
ICC Rules and Potential Penalties
In 2023, the ICC amended its rules so that over-rate penalties would not apply to innings with fewer than 80 overs, a change influenced by injured opener Usman Khawaja. Despite this, Australia must bowl six more overs to dismiss England’s final wicket on Friday morning to avoid heavy fines and a deduction in World Test Championship points.
Under current World Test Championship conditions, each team member faces a 20% match fee fine for every lost over, capped at 100% of their fee. Australia previously missed the 2021 World Test Championship final due to an over-rate penalty from the 2020 Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG.
Player Reactions and Future Implications
Despite the looming penalties, Mitchell Starc downplayed the over-rate issue when speaking to reporters.
“Over-rates are what they are,” Starc said. “If we keep taking the wickets, I won’t worry about it.”
The second Ashes Test is set to resume on Friday at 3pm AEDT, with Australia under pressure to resolve their over-rate issues and capitalize on their bowling strategy. The outcome of this Test could have significant implications for their standing in the World Test Championship and their approach to future matches.
