The Gabba in Brisbane may solve what could be a tough decision the Australian selectors. With the pitch being so fast-bowler friendly, it looks as though the Aussie's may decide to leave out a spinner and just pack their bowling attack with pace. That would mean under-fire off-spinner Nathan Hauritz would be left out and an extra fast bowler brought in.
After a tough year for the spinner, there has been talk down under that Hauritz should be dropped in favour of Steve Smith, who has mostly been used in the one-day side. That decision may be delayed until the second Test in Adelaide, when the spinners will have more of a say. The Aussie's shouldn't be too hasty in dismissing the idea of spin in Brisbane, the extra bounce the pitch generates could work to Hauritz's style. Choosing the wrong team could have a massive impact on the Ashes cricket betting.
The lack of bounce in India may have been one of the reasons behind Hauritz's poor performances during the recent India series, where the 29-year-old only took six wickets in the two Test matches and put in another poor display in the one day loss. Earlier in the year Hauritz showed what he can do on Aussie pitches by finishing the Pakistan series as the top wicket taker. He will be hoping to be given the chance to prove his quality again when Australia return from the so far disastrous tour of India. Despite this, the Ashes cricket odds still make them strong favourites.
One thing is guaranteed though, whether or not the Aussie's go for a spinner when the Ashes starts next month, England will be certain to play their spinner, Graeme Swann.
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