The opening day of the third Ashes Test brought delight to the English camp. They pressurized the Aussies right from the word go. The struggling form of the Aussies remained to be the issue today as well. They were back in the hut for 268 runs after an impressive
bowling display by England, yet the fight back earlier spoke of their spirit. The top order seemed to be a vulnerable one, only displaying a sheer meltdown.
Chris Tremlett was the pick of the bowlers, grabbing three wickets on his recall. James Anderson joined the party late, restricting the Aussies to 268 runs. When the play started, the hosts were in a tug of trouble, depicting a score-card of 4 for 36. The
situation however, was stabilized by Hussey once again. He came as a savior third time in the series, restructuring the score card to reflect a respectable position. The under-fire bowler, Mitchell Johnson, scored his way to the top by inflicting the visitors
with 62 runs.
Michael Hussey continued with his blistering form, scoring 61 runs, and staging a recovery for his side. Not only had this but his partner on the other end, Brad Haddin, also supported his team mate to build up a defining partnership for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. The
lower order showed some defiance, but could not hide the failures of the upper tier. Mitch Johnson rallied in style once he was off the mark. He took the spinner Graeme Swann with confidence, slogging him towards the mid-wicket region.
England openers stood their ground for the overs that they had to play for. The likes of Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss couldn’t be dazzled by the comeback bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris. The pacers continued to dart the ball into the track, but
to no avail. Ryan Harris was off target but he tried hard to pitch the ball short and test the batsman with the bounce. One sharp catching opportunity was not picked up by Michael Hussey, who stood lost in the wake of the setting sun.
Overall, the English resumed their form from where they left at the Adelaide. They outpaced the Aussies in every department of the game. Batting display was dismal from the Australians, but the England team took some stunning catches that came down as the
defining difference between the two camps. The first day brought humiliation to the Aussies, delight to the English. What awaits next will be unleashed tomorrow.
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