A juicy green Lord's strip is expected to offer bowlers significantly more encouragement than they got in the Ashes series opener, but Mitchell Starc does not know whether that will open the door for his Test return. Both team's bowlers will be decidedly more upbeat after viewing the surface prepared for the second Test. Even presuming a few millimetres of grass are shaved off before Wednesday, the pitch is certain to be harder work for batters than the flat track at Edgbaston. A dry, hot spell of weather in London has groundstaff wary of ensuring their surface holds together for five days.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/mitch-starc-lords-test-ashes-2023-australia-england-london-pitch-green-selection-bowling-attack/2023-06-27

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