Australia vs England – 5th Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Australia vs England taking place? Friday, January 14th, 2022 – 04:00 (UK)
Where is Australia vs England taking place? Blundstone Arena, Hobart
What is the expected weather for Australia vs England? 19-23c with a chance of rain on the evening of Days 1 and 3, but dry on Days 2, 4 and 5, whilst consistent cloud cover is also expected over the course of five days, however sunny intervals are also likely at the start of Days 3, 4 and 5.
What channel is Australia vs England on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport
Where can I stream Australia vs England? The match can be streamed live via the BT Sport App
LAST MEETING
Match Drawn
THE TEAM NEWS
AUSTRALIA
- Australia hopes of a 5-0 whitewash were ended in Sydney due to a combination of rain and a brave rearguard that left the hosts unable to take the 20 wickets needed for victory, so they go into this final Test hoping to secure a second successive 4-0 series win at home to England.
- Middle-order batter Usman Khawaja has given the selectors a difficult decision to make after his twin centuries in the fourth Test as Travis Head, the man Khawaja replaced, is available for selection again after recovering from Covid-19.
- The fifth Test will come too soon for fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, meaning that Scott Boland could be afforded a third successive Ashes Test appearance, although both Jhye Richardson or Michael Neser will be hoping to get the nod instead.
ENGLAND
- England’s fight couldn’t be called into question across the fourth Test as a much-improved batting performance saw them fight off the relentless Australian bowling attack and hang on for a draw, with the final wicket partnership of Stuart Broad and James Anderson surviving the final 13 balls of the match together.
- Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler suffered a finger injury in Sydney and will not play in the fifth Test, which may lead to a Test debut for Kent’s Sam Billings, who has joined up with the England camp having been playing in the BBL for Sydney Thunder.
- Rory Burns is likely to come back into the side and replace fellow opener Haseeb Hameed, whilst batter Jonny Bairstow and all-rounder Ben Stokes are both injury doubts, which could see Ollie Pope return to the starting line-up or Dan Lawrence finally given a chance in this Ashes series, the latter boasting fond memories of playing at Hobart having hit 190 for the England Lions in his last red ball match at Blundstone Arena back in February 2020.
THE PREDICTION
All England fans wanted to see was some fight from their side in the fourth Test and they duly got it, the tourists battling hard and avoiding the humiliation of a whitewash, although the help of some inclement weather shouldn’t go unnoticed. Most importantly, members of England’s failing batting unit stepped up to the plate, Jonny Bairstow scoring the first hundred of the series from an England batter and Zak Crawley finally showing a clear sign of his obvious talent with an impressive 77. However, Australia maintained their clear superiority with the bat and it is a clear sign of their incredible strength-in-depth when a replacement batter can slot into the side like Khawaja did and score successive hundreds.
Australia have managed to accumulate a first innings lead over their opponents in each of the four tests so far and that isn’t likely to change here at Hobart. Once again there is a risk that rain could disrupt a couple of days' play, so continue to keep a close eye on the forecast leading up to the start of this fifth Test. As admirable as England’s dogged determination was in Sydney, lightning is unlikely to strike twice against an opponent no doubt stung after coming within one wicket of victory. Therefore, back Australia to maintain their domination of this series and secure victory in the fifth Test, thus sealing another 4-0 Ashes triumph at home to England.
