Ashes 2019: With Test championship and shirt numbers, old rivalry is in a new bottle

Read | Of quicks and composed, key players to watch out for

World Test Championship

The Ashes also marks the beginning of the World Test Championship (WTC), which adds extra significance to the series. This is part of a two-year cycle, when nine teams will vie for the top two spots reserved for the finalists. The WTC final will be played at Lord’s in June 2021. To start with, both England and Australia have 120 points to play for in this series and a Test win will secure 24 points. Also, after the ICC’s changed approach to slow over rates, a team will lose two points for every over they are short of.

England captain Joe Root and his Australian counterpart Tim Paine pose with the urn at Edgbaston on Wednesday. (Reuters)

A la short form

For the first time in Test cricket, players will have their names and numbers on the back of their shirts. Both sets of players, by and large, have decided to stick to their limited-overs shirt numbers. For example, England captain Joe Root will wear No. 66. Back in March this year, the ICC decided to bring on shirt numbers in Tests as a “wider plan to promote Test cricket”.

Blaster at the top

The 29-year-old Surrey man was England’s X-factor at the World Cup, with 443 runs from eight matches. On his Test debut against Ireland last week, Roy, however, had a rude awakening, when he looked clueless against the moving ball in the first innings. But on a difficult Lord’s pitch, Roy bounced back to score 72 in his second dig. A lot will depend on how the opener fares against the Aussies. Geoffrey Boycott has already slammed the England top order in his Telegraph (London) column.

READ | World Test Championship Explained: A total of 71 Test matches played over 27 series

Pattinson on the prowl

The injury-prone Australian fast bowler is back into the Test fold after a three-year hiatus. A recurring lower-back problem hampered his career, but the 29-year-old appears to be in fine fettle at the moment. A tally of 11 wickets in his last two matches has made Pattinson almost an automatic choice for the first Test.

Archer has to wait

Jofra Archer’s eagerly-anticipated Test debut will be deferred, as he is still recovering from a side strain. Archer against Australia’s comeback duo of David Warner and Steve Smith – Cameron Bancroft, too, has returned after serving the ban – could have been mouthwatering. But fans will have to wait till the second Test at Lord’s.

A different ball game

It’s a different challenge for the batsmen when a red Dukes is in operation in England. Unlike the Kookaburra, it swings all day. Unlike the SG Test, it doesn’t lose its shape after 30-odd overs. England fast bowling great Jimmy Anderson is arguably the finest operator of a red Dukes, as his 368 wickets at 23.76 in 83 home Tests would attest. But Australia, too, have a strong pace attack at their disposal.