1st Test Day 5: Australia Headbutt To a 1-0 Series Lead

At the end, it all came too quickly and too easily for England to have any cause for suggesting they had parity through the course of the match. The game was completed in the first hour of the final day, with Australia not losing a wicket in the chase for 170 runs, and the media so tied up in the Bancroft and Bairstow headbutt case that it became the focus of the after match conversations rather than how meekly the England team had seemed to hand the series lead to the home team.

• Dave Warner always finds a way. On the third anniversary of the passing of Phil Hughes, Warner, who was 60 not out overnight, managed to punch a ball through the covers early, and the whole crowd heard his call of “THREE!” It took him to 63 not out, a score that will continue to live in the memories of Australian fans and cricketers for some years yet. Warner’s poignant look towards the heavens reminded everyone again of the loss of a mate to so many of the cricketers around the country. Like I said, Warner always seems to find a way. It was also fitting that the Barmy Army sang their own tribute to Hughes before play, a nice touch from the touring cheer squad.
• Cameron Bancroft played like he has been a Test cricketer for some time, patiently waiting for the loose ball and then disposing of it. He finished on 82 not out, not far behind his partner Warner with 87 not out. His real Test comes in Adelaide this week against the pink ball, before flying onto home turf at the W.A.C.A. He stands tall, he plays straight, he appears unflappable. One wonders where he may have been now if the tour to Bangladesh two years ago had not been called off, where he would have made his Test debut.
• The media seemed to act as though the climax of the Test was the least important thing of the day. The fallout from the headbutt administered by Bairstow to Bancroft three weeks ago took centre stage, with one side of the media calling it a conspiracy to distract the England players from their job at hand (which if this was true, worked a treat). It also allowed the foreign media to downplay the loss and ignore that side of the game and instead try and utilise the story instead of analysing what went so wrong for the English team. Bancroft himself ended the drama through his press conference, which then had the foreign media suggesting this was completely blown out of proportion deliberately by the home media. Now however, they had to focus on the cricket and the result, which they seemed less inclined to do given the result.
• Questions remain over several players from both sides. Khawaja did not have the chance to redeem himself, and will go to Adelaide expecting Moeen Ali bowling at him very early again. Shaun Marsh generally follows up a decent score with four or five single figure scores, he will be looking to erase that statistic this time around. England will likely only make one change, with Jake Ball looking out of his depth. They need more from Woakes, which he may provide with the pink ball. They need more from Cook, though his place is unlikely to be challenged this summer.