This Week's Rant

*steps on soap box*

Good afternoon.

It has been brought to my attention that the Australian Selectors, obviously in consultation with the ECB, have decided that the Ashes series is far too one sided, and that in order to return the series to some sort of balance, they have dropped a batsman who currently averages 47 with the bat in Test cricket, and installed in his place someone who averages 21 with the bat in Test cricket. While they have been using the front that this is a move to ensure that the bowling workload of the Australians is monitored so that they do not break down, it is an obvious ruse, as the Australian captain has shown his reluctance over the past 12 months to use the designated ‘all-rounder’ for any more than three overs in an innings at any time. And let us not forget that the all-rounder in question has only himself returned from a shoulder injury and has bowled in two innings, and is probably at more risk of breaking down than the four specialist bowlers in question.


In Adelaide last season, the selection panel took a stand and chose four new players that they more or less anointed as the players who would lead Australia into the future. They were Peter Handscomb, Matthew Renshaw, Nic Maddinson and Matthew Wade. All four have now been torched in 12 months, in much the same way that Joe Burns, Callum Ferguson and Joe Mennie were torched before them, and in the same way that Glenn Maxwell has been torched this season.

So well played selectors. This should keep the series alive. Perhaps the media should now ignore asking the selectors their opinion on the team, and instead go straight to Justin Langer to see who he thinks is the next Western Australian player who should be in the Test team. Or perhaps this is the reported spot-fixing that has been reported in the media in the last couple of hours. Again, if this is the case, well played.

The fucking system is completely broken.

Thank you for listening.

*steps off soap box*

2nd Test Day 5: Dream Dies Quickly as Hazlewood and Starc Claim 2-0 Lead

For about 18 hours, from the end of play on Day 4 to the conclusion of the Test match in the first session of Day 5, the British media and fans had that marvellous feeling of hope in their hearts. They had fought hard from being a long way behind in the Test match, and now, with 178 runs to win and six wickets in hand, including Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow, they were set for one of the best and most famous victories of all time. The only problem that faced them was the vaunted Australian bowling attack that was unlikely to bowl as poorly as it had the previous evening, the new ball being just 18 overs away, and the history that only ten teams had chased and won the 354 runs in total that was their aim in the history of Test cricket. Everything had to go right for England to win. Within 17 deliveries the dream had evaporated thanks to Josh Hazlewood.

England needed a good start. They needed to not lose a wicket in the first hour, and to slowly cut down their deficit. They knew Australia had no reviews, so they had to hope that any close calls went in their favour such that they could not be reviewed by the fielding team. As it turned out, none of those things happened. Hazlewood got the tiniest flick of Woakes bat with his second ball of the day, and Aleem Dar’s delayed decision kept everyone on tenterhooks before he finally raised his finger, and the roar of the crowd cut short the Barmy Army’s daily rendition of ‘Jerusalem’. It was fateful. If Dar had not raised his finger it would have hurt the Australians. That it did – in a correct decision – hurt England. The momentum of the Barmy Army was halted, and Australia had the early breakthrough they needed. Better was to come in Hazlewood’s second over, when he ripped a similar delivery past Joe Root and again caught the edge. The captain walked, hugely disappointed for a number of reasons, and Australia celebrated a barely believable perfect start considering their toil the previous evening. Root had once again failed to convert a start to a big score, and also still has only one century in a second innings. He knew that with him went England’s chances for victory, and that he would now also come under renewed questioning for having sent Australia in on the first day. No doubt it sobered him up from the high of the previous evening.

Though there was resistance from Bairstow, the rest fell swiftly. Moeen was dismissed by Lyon for the fourth time in the series. Ovenden was crushed under the heart by a fearful ball from Cummins, before Starc’s first ball with the new ball was far too good for his defences. Broad tried to stay as far back from the ball as he could before edging behind, while Bairstow followed a lovely cover drive with being terribly beaten for pace by Starc, with his bat barely on the downswing as he played on to complete England’s misery 120 runs short of the victory target. Starc had done the job he does so well at first class level by cleaning up the tail quickly, and finished with five wickets for the innings as his reward.

Where does that leave the series? For England, who will have gained something from the last 48 hours that they would not have expected, they know they must put everything together if they are to come back and retain the urn. Vince and Malan still look dicey, Cook may well be cooked, and Bairstow must bat higher in the order. A case could be made to have Bairstow and Malan swap positions, but overall England need to find more runs. With Gary Ballance their only real alternative to bring into the line-up, it means their decision making is probably to keep faith with who they have. Their bowling attack looks okay and no doubt they will look forward to bowling at the W.A.C.A. Ovenden had a terrific debut with ball and bat and showed the kind of resolve that England would like to see from all of their team. With the lack of real pace in the England squad becoming a glaring problem, the opportunity remains to blood young leg-spinner Mason Crane as an attacking bowling option, and leaving out either Woakes or Ovenden. Unless Ben Stokes suddenly becomes available, they don’t seem to have anything else in reserve, unless they recall Mark Wood. In the end they will probably have to trust in the same eleven to find themselves a result. 

Australia has done enough to have the lead, but will still need more from some of their individuals. Khawaja and Handscomb will both want a big score to erase doubts about their futures. Both of their techniques are still being questioned by the England bowling, and they will be looking to tweak and polish for the next confrontation. Bancroft too will be looking to make a big score in his first Test at his home ground. The problems with numbers 6 and 7 – for the moment – seem to have been satisfied, while the bowling group looks strong. The selection of Mitchell Marsh in the extended squad for Perth shows that the selectors haven't given up their dream of a seam bowling all-rounder playing in the team long term. While they will be concerned about the bowling workloads, the eight days between Tests should be enough to allow Australia to retain their eleven from the first two Tests. The younger Marsh's selection is a pointer towards the slower tracks in Melbourne and Sydney, and the possibility of adding some bowling help at that stage looks more likely than Marsh being thrown in at Perth. The batsmen in the team deserve the opportunity to make runs away from the two wickets that favour the bowlers in Australia. 

England must win in Perth to keep the series alive, while Australia will be looking to close out the series before reaching Melbourne for the third time in the past four home Ashes series. If England truly believes it has found something from Adelaide then they must attack remorselessly in the 3rd Test to keep the series alive. If it was all just a flash in the pan, drawn from the generosity of Smith’s decision not to enforce the follow-on, then their problems have only just begun.

2nd Test Day 4: Another 'Unwinnable' Test Heads Into Last Day of Possibility

The momentum shift that began with England at 7/142 on the third day swung even further to the visitors on day four as they fought like a team that had something to prove and a grudge to bear to stay in a match that they had no right to still be competing in. While it is conceivable that the luck had begun to swing in England’s favour, the fact that Australia was doing itself absolutely no favours in the way it was playing left them in the uncomfortable position that England are still a chance to level this series 1-1 on the fifth day, and every stride they had taken in a positive direction at the start of the Test has now almost evaporated.

In many ways, that Australia managed to scrape together a total of 138 in their second innings having started the day at 4/53 was probably quite fortunate. England bowled well with a ball that kept moving in the air and off the seam. Though he was unable to get a wicket, Broad hurried proceedings onwards by striking Nathan Lyon in his helmet, and caused a change of tactics from the batsman that saw him hole out the following over. Handscomb’s technique has been found out and exploited, and it was too much to expect a repeat performance from marsh and Paine to again save Australia. England was clinical and what’s more, on top, despite the eventual margin to cross for victory being over 350 runs. Their bowlers showed exactly why they expected to do well in the day/night Test atmosphere by using the conditions available to them to perfection. It should act as a warning to Australian cricket authorities. If they continue down the path of day/night Test cricket, they will throw away completely the home advantage Australia has over England. By offering up seaming and swinging conditions – conditions that Englishmen thrive and grow in – then it will tip the balance in every Ashes series, home or away, to the English team. Something to consider I would have thought.

England’s response was positive. Cook hung in, Stoneman started brightly. A fifty opening partnership was exactly what they wanted. The Australians were not moving the ball anywhere near the amount that their opponents did, and by the time the lights came on they had an old ball which did not respond the same way as the new ball had the previous evening. At 3/93 Australia may have been pleased, but Malan and Root dug in, fought hard, had a little fortune, but gave the belief they could still win this game.

Australia squandered their opportunities, and wasted reviews like they were a renewable energy. The missed review against Cook early was exacerbated by two wasted reviews in an over in the evening, leaving Australia with no reviews for the remainder of the innings, and now they are at the mercy of the umpires verdicts, and both Dar and Gaffney seem to have lost confidence in their own decision making given the number of overrules they have faced in this Test. The Australians obvious frustration is like gold to the English team, but even more so to their supporters. The barmy Army has come completely to life and is dominating the crowd, while on social media the old firm are all coming together to support their team and mock the home team.

Back to the reality of the match, and England has erased half of the deficit they faced when they started their innings. They have lost four of their top order in the process, but are fortunate not only to still have their skipper at the crease to guide the chase, but Moeen and Bairstow to come who are capable of not only scoring runs, but scoring them quickly. Australia will not want them coming to the crease with the scores much closer together than they already are. Australia will have a new ball in 18 overs, but they once again will not have one under lights. In fact, the match will be almost over before they night session is reached, one way or the other. What will Australia’s tactics be? Will they be short? Will they be up? Will they look to cut down the runs?

England had two and a half good days in Brisbane and lost by ten wickets. Australia had two and a half good days in Adelaide, and are in danger of losing a Test that should probably already be over in their favour. Day Five will be a long and tense day for everyone, players and supporters alike. There is no doubt that an England win would be electrifying for the series, leaving it 1-1 going to Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. The English would be riding a tidal wave of confidence if they did, and Australia would be devastated. Even an Australian victory and a 2-0 lead, would still find England heading to Perth believing they can still retain the Ashes by at least drawing the series. The odds are still very much in Australia’s favour to win the 2nd Test. But records are meant to be broken, and any Australian who hasn’t got the Tests against South Africa some years ago in their head, where the visitors batted for almost two days to draw in Adelaide, and chased 414 to win in Perth by six wickets, should look those results up. This isn’t the foregone conclusion that defending 350 in the fourth innings used to be.

2nd Test Day 3: Ghosts of Dravid and Laxman Bring England Back Into Contest

An hour after the evening tea break in Adelaide on this third day of the 2nd Test, Australia held the absolute ascendancy in the Test and the series. The bowlers had been terrific in the first three and a half hours of the day, reducing England to 7/142, a lead of 300 runs with just three wickets to get, and the outside possibility that they could wrap up the Test before stumps. At the very least, by cleaning up the final three wickets for say 30 runs and enforcing the follow-on, Australia would surely be on the cusp of a 2-0 series lead by stumps. And then through the same brainless bowling tactics we thought had gone the way with Brett Lee’s retirement Australia allowed the lead to be whittled to just 215, before handing England the advantage of bowling with a new ball under lights and the game exploded. If ever there was a case of someone taking their foot of the throat of the enemy thinking the battle was over and then that enemy jumping up and stabbing them in the heart, this was it.

That first three hours for Australia was a triumph. The early dismissal of Vince was perfect, and got Root to the crease early. His dismissal was perfect cricket from Pat Cummins. The good length ball stroked through the covers for four was followed by the well pitched up ball wide of off stump that drew Root to it like a moth to a flame, and he edged it to third slip perfectly. Beautiful bowling and good plans. The patience of Nathan Lyon to draw Cook forward who complied by steering the ball to slip. The pace and bounce of Cummins to get the inside edge of Malan’s bat was all class. Five wickets down at tea, and then after tea two brilliant caught and bowled’s to dismiss the dangerous pair of Ali and Bairstow, by Lyon and Starc. It was brilliant cricket by Australia, and they were so far on top it was deliriously delightful.

And then then decided to hand that advantage back to England on a platter, and allow the visitors to claw their way back into the match, just ever so slightly.

No matter how much Australia had decided that the fast short pitched bowling was their key and master stroke to keeping England on the back foot, if it isn’t executed perfectly, or if it is so overused it isn’t a surprise anymore then it becomes obsolete. This tended to be the case for the rest of the England innings. Woakes and Overton wouldn’t lie down, didn’t lie down. They fought hard, and with that fight they had their little slice of luck, but it was more than deserved against what started to become a brainless assault in the middle section. Having done all of the hard work on the top order, Australia thought the tail would just roll over, and they did not. Instead of using their abilities to knock over the tail with conventional fast seam bowling on a responsive wicket, Australia decided to just bash the ball into the surface and force the batsmen to get themselves out. It may have worked in Brisbane, but here it didn’t. Woakes and Overton stuck to it, and did a wonderful job in not only surviving but it decreasing the lead with every over. Australia has been guilty of this in the past. Surely someone could see this wasn’t working and they needed to reassess. A lead of 300 was eventually whittled back to ‘just’ 215, with Woakes scoring 36 and Overton 41 not out on debut, the highest score of the innings. Theirs were brave efforts and would have been saluted by the England dressing room.

In cricket it is often said that you should always do what the opposition would most hate you to do. Given the chance to have to bat against Australia’s pace attack under lights with a new ball, or the chance to bowl against Australia’s top order in the same conditions, it’s a no-brainer that England would not have wanted to bat again. And yet Australia declined to enforce the follow-on, and decided to bat again. Seriously – what the hell is going on there? EVERYONE knows the best time to bowl is the last two hours of the evening’s play in these day/night Tests, and the Australian captain handed this opportunity to England. And they took full advantage of it. Jimmy Anderson was near-on unplayable, swinging and seaming the ball both ways in as good a spell of swing bowling as he has EVER produced. The others did well too, especially Woakes, who buoyed by his batting exploits finally showed what he can do with the ball, getting both Warner and Smith. Australia finished at 4/52 at stumps, but it was the way the England team floated off the ground laughing and charged up that was the most concerning thing. They should have been down-trodden, hanging their heads beaten into submission by a superior team. But, because of Australia’s brain explosions over the second half of the day’s play, they now believed in their ability once again, that they had a chance to squeeze their way back into this Test match.

Australia is still haunted by Dravid and Laxman in 2001 when it comes to enforcing the follow-on in Test cricket, and also bythe perceived possibility that the fast bowlers may get over-worked and break down again. Those two things have poisoned Australia’s ascendancy in this Test match, and for the moment has just given England a sniff that they can come out on the right side of this match. Both sides would agree that they would much rather be in Australia’s position, 268 runs ahead with six wickets in hand and two days to play. They still hold the whip hand in this Test. But if the follow-on had been enforced, and Englandhad been 4/52, then the game would have been as good as over. Australia may well still hold a 2-0 lead in this Ashes series in the next 48 hours, but three hours of innocuous cricket this evening has given England a boost that they should not have gotten, and may well still end up being a factor in the outcome of the series.

2nd Test Day 2: Marsh and Paine Silence Critics and England's Chances

After three deliveries of Day 2 of the 2nd Test, England must have thought they were in the ascendancy and on their way to surging to a dominant position in the Test match. Removing the set batsman in Peter Handscomb in the first over would have been as good as the English could have hoped for before they walked out onto the field. By the end of the day, they would have thanked the weather gods that ensured they only had to face nine of the allotted 28 overs they should have to conclude the proceedings, allowing them a chance to lick the wounds and reassess just where they sit in this Ashes series.

• Shaun Marsh deserves to be on top of the world. The howling that came from most of Australia over his selection in the 1st Test team had to have hurt. He knew how many chances he’d had, and he knew he had to make this one count. His half century in Brisbane wasn’t enough. Today he fought in the same way we saw him do so in Ranchi to save the Test for Australia, and he was able to continue to stay in his shell as Tim Paine made the running in the first session, and then Pat Cummins stuck with him in the second session. His century was celebrated by all and sundry, and his final score of 126 not out will rank as one of his finest innings. There’s no better way to swing the masses to your side than to score runs, and at a time that Australia desperately needed them. It’s been said before, but could this finally be the innings that brings the best out of Marsh, and allows him to have a long and solid place in the Australian team? No doubt all Australian supporters - whether they backed his selection or denounced it - will hope so.
• The other maligned character of the team did his job admirably as well. Tim Paine scored his third Test half century yesterday, all the while being peppered by the ball, with one blow on the finger that has cruelled his career being particularly nasty and at one stage looking as though it was a real problem. Perhaps it still will be, but he fought hard and rode his luck, and helped get Australia to a position of relative security. While it is his keeping he will be judged on, the fact that he made these runs eases any perceived pressure on him in that regard. And he played some lovely shots. Great to watch.
• The DRS made its presence felt on Day 2, with two LBW decisions against Marsh and Paine both being overturned on review, with the ball suggested on both occasions to be going over the stumps. At normal speed both look like terrific decisions by Chris Gaffney, but the technology thought otherwise. While there is still a lot of scorn over the ball tracking predictive line – and no doubt England would have been furious over it here – there was indeed an obvious amount of excessive bounce in the wicket, and when viewed on slow-motion you could possibly believe the balls were going over the top. Both reviews hurt England who were left to imagine what could have been.
• While some commentators and English personnel will feel their bowlers were a touch unlucky on Day 2, in the end they were out-fought by the Australian batsmen. At five down for 209 Australia should have struggled to make 300, and yet reached 442 before declaring the innings closed with two wickets in hand – those three wickets to fall providing another 232 runs. Given that Australia’s middle order was considered to be its weak point prior to the start of the series, no matter what fortune England may have felt they were missing, it doesn’t ring true enough that this kind of first innings total should have been achieved. If Australia had bowled like England did at Nathan Lyon, fans would have been furious for the waste. Surely England could see this as well.
• For all of their talk about lack of luck, England was saved again by rain, much as they had been on the first day. With 28 overs to be faced under lights with a new ball, England was fighting an uphill battle against Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins. That they only had to face 9 of those overs as rain returned to wash out proceedings was a massive slice of fortune for the visitors. Losing only one wicket means they can start again in daylight with some hope to see off the new ball and build an innings. That wasn’t necessarily going to be likely under lights.

Day 3 may well provide some answers to the future of the Ashes contest. England will likely look for rain, and need to bat all day in order to be a chance to save this match from this position. Indeed, they will probably need to bat until the middle of Day 4 to get close to Australia’s first innings total. The home team will look to get early breakthroughs and put this match well out of England’s reach by the end of the day, in the hope that they can secure a 2-0 lead and place one hand firmly on the Ashes urn.

2nd Test Day 1: "Send 'Em In" Joe as England Change Tack in Search of Victory

In 2002/03, Nasser Hussain made one of the biggest calls of his captaincy career when he won the toss at Brisbane for the 1st Test of the Ashes series, and sent Australia in to bat. 2/380 followed on that first day, and the series was more or less sealed from that point on. In 2005, Glenn McGrath rolled his ankle in practice and was ruled out of the 2nd Test of the Ashes series, and yet when Ricky Ponting won the toss he too chose to bowl. England made 400 in the day, and though Australia almost pulled off a miracle, the loss was the start of the slide to defeat in the series. These two decisions by captains to send in their opponents are now folklore in Ashes cricket, and in a few short days we will know whether a third one is to join them, after Joe Root won the toss here in Adelaide and decided to insert the Australians on Australia’s flattest Test pitch in the day/night Test.

• Despite the overcast conditions, the pitch looked to be a special, though Root may also have been persuaded by the fact that in the only two day/night Tests played in Adelaide, the team batting first has lost. Early on though it didn’t look great, as the bowling was not at its best, and not in the right areas. England’s first piece of good fortune came from the rain that then delayed play, and enabled the team to reset and start again. It also brought Australia closer to the time when they would have to bat under lights, which was an advantage for the bowling team.
• The second piece of fortune for England was Dave Warner selling his partner up the river and having him palpably run out when Australia was on top. It was a dreadful mix up. One of the first things every junior in the nation is taught is “don’t run on a misfield”. And yet here, this is exactly what Warner did, calling his partner through, and then when trouble emerge, turned back faster than a Mitchell Starc bouncer, stranding Bancroft mid-pitch, with his only hope that the throw would not be a direct hit. It was.
• The usual story with the pink ball was once again the case today, as none of the batsmen looked at any stage as if they were well and truly in. Everything was a struggle, and they had to fight hard for every run they managed to get. Occasionally they were able to flourish with a cover drive or a punch through mid-wicket, but nothing flowed from the bat.
• Australia’s three biggest batsmen all made the start they would have hoped for, but all fell without being able to turn it into a big score. Both Warner and Khawaja were caught behind playing shots they probably didn’t have to. Warner’s 47 was as awkward as he can look when bottled up, but he would have been disappointed getting out when he did. Khawaja looked the most comfortable, and had moved easily to 53 before he flashed at one he didn’t need to. He looked more comfortable against Ali than he had in Brisbane which was another positive.
• Between Tests England has made sure they have voiced their opinion that Australia are once again the ‘bullies’ when it comes to sledging. The majority of their media has jumped on board also. “Australia are the bad guys” once again seems to be the case to be heard. As it turns out, this was turned around on the Australian captain on Day 1. He was subject to taunts especially from Broad and Anderson, and also had Anderson placed next to him at the non-strikers end to get into his head. Smith gave as good as he got and Umpire Dar had to step in a couple of times to try and keep them apart. When Smith played on for 40, the England camp claimed they had gotten inside his head and he was frazzled. Khawaja simply said he felt they had just switched him on even more. Either way, what would the media say if Smith came out and claimed England were being bullies? England can’t have it both ways, claiming to be the victim while then going out and doing the same thing. If they think they won by dismissing Smith for 40, then it seems a bit like they claimed 85 years ago when Bodyline cut Bradman’s series average to ‘only’ 50. The second innings will be interesting.
• In a tough last hour under the lights, Handscomb (36) and Marsh (20) played well to ensure Australia finished with at least their share of the day’s play at 4/209 off 81 overs. England on the other hand will be disappointed they weren’t able to pry out another couple of wickets in the twilight. Despite having the top four back in the pavilion it is a long day for only four wickets. It is a similar situation to the first day of the 1st Test, with not too many runs having been scored to think Australia are away. Early wickets tomorrow would put England back in charge.

It has been an intriguing day’s play, and given Australia was sent in they would consider themselves in front. On the other hand Smith had said he would bat if he’d won the toss, so if that had occurred and the same score was applicable would they feel as happy? Perhaps Day 2 can answer that question more authoritatively.

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.

1st Test Day 4: Bancroft Stands Firm to Change Course of Series

Day Four began with perhaps Australia a nose in front, with England being seven runs in front but two wickets down. The see-saw was likely to be felt today because by the start of Day Five there was the expectation that one team would be in the dominant winning position. Which is just as it turned out.

• England was unable to put together the century partnership they needed in order to break the Australian bowling apart. 45 between Stoneman and Root and 42 between Moeen and Bairstow were the best, and the breaking of both of those partnerships proved vital at the time. Just extending one partnership to a hundred runs would have put the Australian chase over 200 and a much more difficult proposition.
• Root’s wicket was the vital one, which took from England the rock on which they would have hoped to build their second innings resistance. Only one of Root’s 13 Test centuries have come in the second innings, and his average drops to 40.72 in the second innings. Today was the day England needed him to go on, but a brilliant Hazlewood delivery did for him again. He has been out both innings LBW stuck on the crease in this Test, something to reflect on as we go deeper into the series.
• Moeen Ali again underlined his dangerous ability at six, seemingly cruising to 40 before being stumped off Lyon. The third umpire dismissal took several angles to confirm it was out, but social media and Michael Clarke erupted after the decision, bringing up ludicrous ideas such as there was at least a quarter of a millimeter of boot behind the line, to it being so close that the batsman should get the benefit of the doubt, to the crease having been painted crooked, to the line being too thick. The batsman has to be behind the line, so thickness doesn’t matter, nor if it’s crooked (which it wasn’t), and there was no need for benefit because there was nothing BEHIND the line. Moeen himself returned everything to order in the post-match press conference when he said that if he had been the bowler he would have wanted that given out.

• Starc and Cummins roared at the end of the innings, and the aggressive intent made lighter work of the tail than the first innings. While one suspects that their lines and lengths may change slightly with the pink ball in Adelaide, the blueprint now seems to be in place for England for the rest of the series. Short and fast.
• Nathan Lyon’s three wickets were all left handers, one stumped and two caught by Steve Smith at slip. With no fewer than six of the current England line up left handed batsmen, they are going to see a lot of him bowling at them this summer.
• Cameron Bancroft brought up his first Test half century in finishing on 51 not out overnight. But perhaps the moment that confirmed he is here to stay was when Jimmy Anderson picked up the ball Bancroft had patted back to him, and threw it back at the batsman. Bancroft stood his ground, and it hit him in his right thigh pad, well away from the stumps. Anderson put up his hand in ‘apology’, but Bancroft just stared him down. It perhaps summed up the moment that Australia had taken charge of the Test match – and the series. And – imagine the uproar from the British press if an Australian had done this!
• Why didn’t England stick to the same tactics they used against David Warner in the first innings? It seems strange that, having tied him up and gotten him to play the wrong shot to get out for 26 in the first innings that we would be seeing that same field and bowling to him all summer. But it was all a bit conventional, and once warner got started there was no way to put the genie back in the bottle. At 60 not out overnight, he and Bancroft have already gotten Australia to 0/114 and within 56 of victory. One suspects a trick was missed there.
• The breaking story after play was of the alleged head-butt from Jonny Bairstow on Cameron Bancroft three weeks ago in a bar in Perth, well before Bancroft became a Test candidate. Nothing has come out about it at all until today, which suggests both sides were willing to put it aside. Still, one wonders how England management were supposedly unaware of it until today. Comments in the past few days have now shown all of the Australians knew, and it had been used in comments on the field, and in Nathan Lyon’s case in an interview. How this will affect things in the coming days will be interesting given both the David Warner incident in 2013 and Ben Stokes incident this year.

Barring a cyclone or the greatest comeback in cricket history, Australia will go one up in the series before lunch, and England’s worst case scenario will have been completed. How this affects both teams – and their respective media – will be the most interesting sideline heading into the Adelaide Test on Saturday.

1st Test Day 3: Smith's Finest Symphony Saves Australia Again

In forty years of watching cricket, I have seen a lot of great batsmen. No, I did not see W. G. Grace, Victor Trumper, Jack Hobbs, Wally Hammond, Charlie McCartney, Don Bradman or anyone previous to 1976. And yes I have seen the likes of Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara and anyone else you would like to mention from around the world in that time. Closer to home, you can never mention toughest batsmen ever without the names of Allan Border and David Boon being immediately recalled. Up until ten years ago, my opinion was that I had seen no finer batsmen than Greg Chappell and Viv Richards. They were the two who above all others I considered to be the greatest. About eight years ago I added Ricky Ponting to that list. Though he may have faded in his final couple of years, his innings when Australia needed him brought him into that established group. And while people are free to throw names like Lara and Tendulkar at me, those are the three I consider at the top of the tree.

I am now beginning to believe that the name of Steve Smith will have to be added to that list.

Smith has a long way to go in his career. There is every chance that at some stage it won’t be as rosy as the last four years have been, and thus a judgement call on this sort of thinking cannot be made presently. But anyone who watched his innings on the third day of this 1st Test would have to have been thinking much the same thing. Because this wasn’t just another innings where Smith found his way into gaps and blasted the odd ball through the field on his way to a fast paced century. No this was something completely different that defied everything you may have thought about the Australian captain’s batting.

Joe Root showed that he and his team had clearly thought up some plans for the Australian batsmen yesterday, and they paid off. Today, especially once Marsh had been dismissed for a career-extending 50, the plan was to set a field such that the line that was bowled would cut off practically every safe way of scoring runs, and only allow ways that would have a high element of risk involved in getting the ball into the gaps. In that first session, it involved six men on the leg side in a faux-Bodyline setting with three on the boundary and three in a semi-circle a pitch length from the bat, while on the off side the was a slip, a gully and a fly slip. It left the field between point and mid-on completely vacant. With the ball being delivered short in at the body consistently, it meant that the risk was high to hook or pull, and also to try and move away to play into the off side. The bowling had to be spot on to execute it, and for the most part it was. The English, like yesterday, has posed a question to the batsman, and now it was a matter of what the response would be.

For the two hours of the first session, this was how Smith was attacked. He played the short ball to his feet, he swayed, he ducked, he pottered. At no stage did he look to take the field on, he just patiently waited for each ball and played it on its merits. The run rate slowed to a crawl, but that wasn’t his fault. He simply refused to buckle, or to allow the tactic to get on top of him. In this he was wonderfully supported by Pat Cummins, who also stood his ground and failed to be budged. Without his innings, Smith would have been forced to take a different tact, but while Cummins defended stoutly and then launched the occasional textbook cover drive to the fence, he was able to stay in his own groove. In the three hours up until drinks of the middle session, Steve Smith scored 30 runs. Australia had scored 87 in total. But it was fascinating cricket. The partnership between Smith and Cummins added 66 runs in over 32 overs, of which Cummins scored 42. Smith brought up his century with a magnificent cover drive, just about the only ball pitched in his half in four hours. It had taken 261 deliveries of graft, grind and absolute patience against the bowling tactics of the English team. At tea Australia was 8/287, still behind the England total, but now within touching distance, something England would have though nigh on impossible when Starc had been dismissed at 7/209. After tea Smith was faced with a change in tactics, with now seven on the offside and the bowling line outside the off stump. And still he waited for the loose ball, for the ball to get runs with little risk, while Hazlewood and Lyon continued the fight, supporting their captain to the very end. When that finally came, Australia had managed to reach 328, a lead of 26. Smith remained not out on 141, having faced 326 deliveries and batted for more than eight and a half hours. It was an innings for the ages, though many tried to bely the tactics and the lack of pure aggression from the bowling attack, and questioning why Anderson and Broad had only bowled a total of seven overs with the new ball before it was passed on to the less experienced Woakes and Ball to take over.

England could only drag themselves seven runs in front by stumps, having lost both Cook and Vince to a recharged and vibrant Josh Hazlewood who thrived in the hour before stumps to reclaim some of his own venom with the ball. Both teams had some harmony restored between them when a violent Starc bouncer crashed into a poorly defended Joe Root, his helmet taking an awful beating in the process. Starc and Warner were immediately at his side, ensuring his welfare with wry smiles all around. Just three years on from the demise of Phil Hughes, it was a moment to reflect that his downfall is still uppermost in the minds of all cricketers. With Root determined to lead by staying on the field, the pantomime concluded with a very high bouncer being delivered to finish the over, easily ducked by Root who like the rest of Australia expected it, and a shared smile of knowing between batsman and bowler reminding everyone that the game moves on.

Today’s innings by Steve Smith should not be dismissed easily. It was a work of art, an innings of a captain who refused to buckle, who fought every inch of the way to keep his team in the game, and eventually to ensure they got a lead they never looked like achieving the previous afternoon. Australia has had some great captains, and has seen some wonderful captains innings that have changed the course of a Test match. None have been better than what the Australian captain produced in Brisbane here today, and if it gives his team a lead in this series then it should be held up for eternity as one of the greatest innings of the modern era.

1st Test Day 2: England's Battle Plans Leave Australia in Strife

The millennials are probably having heart palpitations over the sludgy pace that this 1st Test is being played at, but for the purists it has been fascinating and for the most part entertaining. Those brought up on a diet of ODI and T20 cricket would have trouble understanding what has happened over the first two days play in Brisbane, but those with a better head for the game will have felt well sated by stumps, with England having stuck their neck in front in a see-sawing game.

• Malan and Ali continued to frustrate the Aussie bowlers on the second morning, reaching 4/246 after drinks in the first session. Moeen proved he is going to be a thorn in Australia’s side this summer as he scored runs with a fluent ease, though mostly through the leg spin from inopportune deliveries, while Malan became the third English Ashes debutante to make a half century, something all three of Stoneman, Vince and Malan felt worthy of note at the end of the day’s play in response to Australia’s media and social media comments.
• That England could only eventually make a final total of 302 from this position mostly came from a change in direction and tactics from the fast bowlers, who for the first time in the Test decided to bowl hard, fast and short at the batsmen. In between Nathan Lyon spun his web and was finally rewarded with the wickets he deserved, the ball to get Woakes in particular being a beauty. It could have been better for Australia, but a late order slog of 20 from Broad got them past the 300 mark. The four sessions to reach this tally was considered of benefit to Australia because they had been able to halt the momentum, though this then depended on their own response.
• England's tactics with the ball and in the field were different, but effective. It showed that Joe Root and his conspirators had put a great deal of thought into the Australian batsmen and their perceived weaknesses. While Bancroft was caught behind driving on debut for 5, Khawaja was almost immediately faced with off spinner Moeen Ali and was undone by spin once again - or in this case the lack thereof. He has a major problem to overcome if his career is to thrive from this point. Warner was bottled up with a short and back field and given nothing to play at in his favourite zones, and again fell to the half pull half punch on the legside straight to the fieldsman put in place for it. England used this tactic against him in 2015 when it also worked. Once suspects he will face a lot more of it. Handscomb looked positive in his short stay, but was pinned behind the crease and LBW with his unusual footwork. It's a dismissal one would expect to see more of in Handscomb's career, and no doubt England will continue on this path. Great tactics, well executed, and at 4/76 England was deservedly in front.
• Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh fought through the last session, adding 89 runs to finish at 4/165 and helping to make the Australian dressing room more comfortable. Marsh again looked the part at Test level and would be well aware he needs lots of runs to maintain his position, but his calming partnership with Smith will have helped his cause, finishing overnight on 44.

England hold the whip hand after two days play with Australia still 137 runs behind, and early wickets on the third day will give them a handy lead and a great platform to push for further ascendancy in the first Test. Not for the first time in the last few years, the pressure rests with the Australian captain, who remains on 64 not out and will have to shoulder much of the run scoring if Australia is to fight its way back into this Test match.