Spinning pitch at Cardiff 'very unlikely'

England traveled prepared to play a second spinner in the first Investec Ashes Test in Cardiff but Adil Rashid's chances of a Test debut look to be receding. After the squad was selected during a brief heatwave, conditions have become markedly cooler and Glamorgan's head groundsman has suggested that the chances of a spinning pitch were "very unlikely".

England rarely play two spinners in home Tests - the most recent occasion was the Oval Ashes Test in 2013 - and the new coach, Trevor Bayliss, has already indicated that Moeen Ali is currently first choice.

The warm weather that helped Keith Exton and his team in preparing the surface appears to have passed, with showers interrupting an England team autograph session in Cardiff on Sunday. Further rain is forecast, though Exton is still confident that "a classic Test pitch" will be on show when England and Australia come out for the toss on Wednesday morning.

"We're happy because we're in control of moisture levels and the density and profile of the soil," Exton said. "Dry conditions take the guess work out so we're very much in control which is all that a groundsman can wish for.

"This track had two T20 games on it last year and the ball went through well. It will start off as a classic Test pitch but if we have a lot of dry heat then the characteristics could change as the game progresses. We would need to have extremely high temperatures for it to become a spinning pitch, which is very unlikely, but once the toss takes place, everything is out of our hands."

England got their first look at the surface when they trained at the ground on Sunday afternoon. This will be Cardiff's second Ashes Test, after the series opener in 2009 that saw England hang on for a draw. Although Test pitches at the SWALEC Stadium have sometimes been on the slow side, Exton is hopeful that there will be something for batsmen and bowlers this time around.

"We hope this one will have a little more pace but we hope that we see an equally good game of cricket," he said. "It's natural to be nervous and excited at the same time but watch me after three overs - I'll either be beaming with delight or hiding. It's the pinnacle of any groundsman's career to produce a Test Match pitch and if the game is as finely balanced as the one we hosted here in 2009, I'll be very happy."