England and Australia have vowed to remain loyal to their contrasting tactical approaches, setting up the prospect of another thrilling <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ashes-2023-seamer-josh-tongue-replaces-moeen-ali-in-england-squad-for-second-test-23294670" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Ashes</a> clash in the second Test at Lord&rsquo;s starting Wednesday.&nbsp;
Australia, bidding for a first Ashes series win in England in 22 years, went 1-0 up in a five-match campaign with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first Test at Edgbaston last week.&nbsp;
England were in sight of victory when they had their arch-rivals eight down and needing 54 more runs to win, only to be undone by an unbroken partnership between Australia captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.&nbsp;
Poor fielding, with several chances missed, did not help England&rsquo;s cause either. Attention, however, soon turned to their aggressive &lsquo;Bazball&rsquo; approach, even though this was only their third defeat in 14 Tests since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces last year.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ashes-2023-labuschagne-eyes-change-23294540" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Ashes 2023: Labuschagne eyes change!</a>
Several former England internationals, including Geoffrey Boycott, suggested Stokes&rsquo;s side had been too gung-ho in Birmingham, notably in declaring on the first day at 393-8. Ollie Pope, Stokes&rsquo;s vice-captain, said there was more to the team&rsquo;s tactics than met the eye.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know sometimes it can look like it&rsquo;s just moments of madness, but all the decisions that are made are well thought out with a vision of the end goal,&rdquo; Pope insisted at Lord&rsquo;s on Tuesday.&nbsp;
The bigger issue for England arguably lies in team selection. Off-spinner Mooen Ali, tempted out of red-ball retirement at Edgbaston, unsurprisingly suffered a finger injury on a bowling hand not used to lengthy spells. England have called up teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed as cover.&nbsp;
They could also rely on Root&rsquo;s part-time off-spin as a way of getting express quick Mark Wood back into the side.
Australia, however, are the World Test champions and there is no guarantee a more orthodox approach would have had led to greater success&mdash;after all it was while playing in such a traditional style that England won just one out of 17 Tests before Stokes succeeded Joe Root as red-ball skipper.
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Australia, bidding for a first Ashes series win in England in 22 years, went 1-0 up in a five-match campaign with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first Test

'Our decisions are well thought out': England vice-captain Pope

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Australia, bidding for a first Ashes series win in England in 22 years, went 1-0 up in a five-match campaign with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first Test at Edgbaston last week

'Our decisions are well thought out': England vice-captain Pope

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'Our decisions are well thought out': England vice-captain Pope

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