While points of debate are not too hard to come by during an Ashes series, the contrasting fortunes of Australia and England in the drawn Ashes opener at Brisbane has brought up some really important issues that both teams would be looking to address before
the second Test begins in Adelaide on Friday.
For England the drawn Test must mean a lot more than to Australia. Because even though the visitors definitely looked down for the count after the conclusion of both teams’ first innings, they showed real character and spirit to claw their way back into
the match thanks to a huge 329-run stand between Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott. Cook’s double hundred would have been especially gratifying, for the embattled opener himself but even more so for the selectors and team management who chose to stuck with
him despite his recent run of poor form. His innings as well as that of Strauss should give both the openers some much needed confidence ahead of the second Test.
Jonathan Trott’s contribution to the mammoth match-saving partnership means that he too is in good stead for the upcoming second Test while Ian Bell’s fine first inning showing when he looked majestic against the Australian attack means that it is only Paul
Collingwood out of the English top six who needs a big score in Adelaide to kick-start his Ashes campaign. The management, however, would not be too concerned with Collingwood’s lack of runs, because the man inevitably turns up when the chips are down, and
is probably waiting for a batting crisis to befall England to show his true colours.
On the whole England would have been pleased with their pace bowlers, all of whom showed remarkable discipline on an unresponsive pitch in the first innings. Of particular concern to the English think-tank would be the poor performance of Graeme Swann, on
a pitch that offered spin albeit of a slow kind. The way he was mastered and dominated by Michael Hussey must put up some question marks over his status as England’s premier bowling weapon. Even though England will probably stick with him throughout the series
rather than going for the other spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Monty-Panesar-c2024, his performance which was the only significant low in an otherwise fine English display might signal to the team that they better not rely on him alone to get them the bulk of the wickets for the rest
of the series.
On the other hand for Australia the Test match ending in a draw must have been a huge disappointment after the stranglehold they had on it. Their top six’s batting performance was from ideal and it was their bowling that would be the primary cause of their
worries.
Apart from Siddle in the first innings, when he took six wickets, no other bowler looked incisive enough in the rest of the match to take down a decent batting unit. Mitchell Johnson, who is arguably the most talented of the Aussie bowlers, has been out
of sorts for far too long for England to fear him while Hilfenhaus and Siddle looked pedestrian in the second innings to put it politely. While it is too early to judge Doherty, it can be said on account of his performance in the first Test that although he
can do a decent holding job he too would not be running through any batting side in a hurry.
Australia’s top-order too looked a bit shaky in the first innings, except a good innings by Simon Katich. At one point in their first innings, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 had slumped to 143 for 5, and had it not been for a master class by Michael Hussey which was well supported
by Haddin, Australia might have been in some significant trouble. Hussey’s first really assured looking big innings for a considerable time, should silence his critics for a while, and Australian selectors like their English counterparts must be very happy
that they stuck with one of their out-of-form batsmen.
Australia then, have more to put right than England before the Adelaide Test particularly to somehow reinvigorate a seemingly toothless bowling attack, and if they are able to do that then the cricket loving people across the globe will surely witness another
fine encounter come Friday.
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