England adamant on maintaining four-man attack
England, who lost their early momentum in the Ashes with a devastating loss at Perth, are confident that their dream of acquiring the first Ashes win down under for
the first time in 20 years is not yet over. Brilliant bowling from comeback wizard Mitchell Johnson allowed the hosts to rout their arch-rivals by 267 runs, with more than five sessions to spare. Now England prepare to brush aside their recent disappointment,
and focus on the next encounter which is scheduled to take place at the MCG on Boxing Day.
The impact of the Perth Test is more than just a victory, as it allowed http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 to regain the initiative which they had lost at the end of the first Test, and puts
them in a position to dictate terms for the rest of the series. However, England’s coach http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Flower-c44362 displayed his characteristic calmness , and is hopeful of his side’s chances in the series. He said, “That's just reality. We lost in three-and-a-half days;
we can't get away from it. So we move on to use our time as wisely as possible. It is a tough schedule, but international schedules around the world are tough these days. Everyone will get weary at some stage, but you've just got to deal with it.”
The fatigue which results from such a high-pressure series is evident on both teams. England’s bowling attack, which is its main strength, is in tatters after the
departure of Stuart Broad. James Anderson is clearly fatigued after he had to travel for 48 hours due to the birth of his daughter following the Perth Test. On the other hand, the series leading wicket-taker Steve Finn and spinner Graeme Swann looked ineffective
on the bouncy wicket in Perth, as they failed to create any trouble for Australian batsmen. Commenting on it, Flower said, “A five-Test series is hard on everyone, both physically and emotionally, and for the fast bowlers more so. I think Steven Finn has done
really well. For a 21-year-old to come into an Ashes series in Australia, he's handled himself superbly, and he's taken a lot of wickets in three Test matches.”
Nonetheless, it is expected that England will include either Tim Bresnan or http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ajmal-Shahzad-c42489 in the team for the Melbourne Test in order to reinforce their bowling attack.
However, Flower is adamant that nothing is decided yet regarding selection, but he clearly ruled out the possibility of a fifth bowler in place of the run-shy Paul Collingwood. Collingwood has been out of form for quite some time, and has made a dismal 99
runs in his last nine Test innings. The England coach said, “We've got a few days now to reassess before Melbourne, and we'll pick the 11 we think have the best chance of winning. The workload on the bowlers is heavy, and in the absence of a quality all-rounder,
we are sticking with a four-bowler attack. We've shown over the last 18 months it's served us well.”
The most worrying factor for England is the lack of control which Graeme Swann exhibited at the WACA. Swann is the most prolific player for England during the last
year, and his performance in Perth was far from satisfactory. Strauss used Swann partly on the wicket, which did not suit his style. Additionally, Hussey was playing with confidence which made things difficult for Swann. Flower said, “Without a doubt he can
come back. We'd have expected a guy of his quality to affect the momentum a little more, but once we got on that pitch we all noticed it was tricky facing the quicks. The bounce was aiding them, and there wasn't much turn there for him, so it was a difficult
task.” Nevertheless, England needs to raise its game if they want to stop the Australian juggernaut in Melbourne, and repeat the much coveted feat of the 80's.
Tags: