Ashes: David Warner unfazed by Stuart Broad battle, says Pat Cummings
at Cummings insists Stuart Broad will face "a different David Warner" this summer, after England backed the seamer to reignite their rivalry from the start of the Ashes.
England yesterday announced their team for the series opener, with Broad getting the nod over Mark Wood to take the final place in a bowling attack that also includes James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and the recently un-retired Moeen Ali.
The call means Broad could get his first crack at Warner as early as tomorrow's first morning at Edgbaston and the Nottinghamshire bowler will be looking to pick up where he left off during the last home Ashes in 2019, when he dismissed the Australian opener seven times in 10 innings.
Warner is already under pressure for his place at the top of the tourists' order and a poor start to the series could see him dropped, with the likes of Matt Renshaw and Marcus Harris waiting in the wings.
Cummins, however, is backing the 36-year-old to come through.
"Davey's, I'm sure, been thinking about Broad a lot over the last four years and, if he got another chance, how he is going to play against him," Australia captain Cummins said.
"It didn't go Davey's way last time, but we'll see a different Davey this time."
England left both Broad and Anderson out of the series opener in Brisbane during the last Ashes 18 months ago, a decision that backfired dramatically, as England were hammered by nine wickets on a green pitch, then lost the Second Test by 275 runs at Adelaide after both were recalled as part of an all-seam attack.
Wood was the tourists' standout bowler during that 4-0 series defeat, but misses out at Edgbaston this week.
The quick bowler's workload is being carefully managed, with injuries to Jofra Archer and Olly Stone robbing Ben Stokes of alternative pace options, while Broad's inclusion means that England have avoided the prospect of fielding an entirely new attack from their sole warm-up match, against Ireland at Lord's a fortnight ago, in which Broad took a first-innings five-for.
Wood's ability to bowl upwards of 90mph would have provided the attack with a point of difference, but Broad is likely to get through more overs, another important factor given the questions over Stokes's ability to play a full part as an all-rounder, although the captain bowled at good intensity in the Edgbaston nets again yesterday.