Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones has provided some tips to the host team's batsmen to succeed in the upcoming winter Ashes series by pointing out certain weaknesses in some of the main England bowlers.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Jones has chosen England pace spearhead James Anderson, his talented co-bowler Stuart Broad and spin star Graeme Swann as some of the main threats to Australia and has given tips on how to outdo them.
Although the report said that Swann, widely viewed as one of the best spinners in the world, would play an important role in the Ashes even though he is unlikely to find spin-friendly wickets in Australia, Jones said that the key for a player facing top spinners like Swann is using his feet and knowing where to get a single.
According to Jones, although Broad would not mind much being at the receiving end of verbal barrages of crowds during the upcoming series if he can reproduce his summer heroics, the only way for a batsman to beat him and Anderson is by finding a way to get off strike if he is pressurised.
With the report saying that Anderson will again be a key to his team's hopes of retaining the urn even though his swing is better suited to England, Jones said that Australian batsmen need to play Anderson late and use the swing to create angles when batting to outdo his length and control over swing.
Jones also named Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn and Boyd Rankin as some of the other threats for Australia in the Ashes, although he said that even though the trio has the advantage of height, Australia could outdo them by using veterans Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin against them.