Stumps: England 81-5 and 187. Australia 268 and 309.
Oh Christ. That last session has changed everything.
Until then, this was a competitive, scrappy match in which Australia held the edge, mainly because their tail had wagged after a first innings batting collapse, while ours had not. We’d done pretty well to restrict them to a second innings 309, on a decent pitch – with only two of their batsmen making scores. Set 391, we were still heading for defeat – but probably not by much.
That was then, and this is now: today’s final session was sheer carnage, and turned the match into a steamrollering. For the first time in this series, it felt like 2006/7. Australia were arrogant, swaggering, and hostile. England were timid and weak, batting as if they knew they weren’t good enough. Our batsmen perished to four timid shots, and one desperate one – feeling for the ball, indecisive, uncertain whether to play forward nor back.
To suffer a batting collapse is one thing – an aberration perhaps – but to suffer two is quite another. That final session has changed the entire psychology of the series. At Melbourne, our batsmen will play with far less confidence and authority – both sides now know Australia’s bowlers have the upper hand.
The events of the last two days have rebooted the Australian side. All the mental baggage of Adelaide – which inspired the chaos of their first innings – has been wiped away. Our advantage has entirely evaporated. Ponting’s side can now look in the mirror and say – we were 69-5, and still won by 200 runs.
Then again – we can easily over-do the self-pity and pessimism. We have not actually lost this match quite yet. And in 2009 we recovered from a worse defeat at Headingley to wallop them at the Oval. Australia’s bowlers will get less out of the Melbourne pitch, while their batting – entirely dependent on Hussey – will be just as fragile. Surely, surely, he will fail at some point. Won’t he?
The talking points around England will centre on whether Ian Bell should bat above Colly, and perhaps whether Bresnan should replace Finn. Such a move would strengthen the tail, but more importantly allow Strauss to close up an end when resting Anderson and Tremlett.
Finally – there was something ugly about the way Australia celebrated their wickets today. I can’t quite put my finger on it – but it’s a combination of (a) the Australian sense of entitlement to success in sport and (b) the obvious fact that these two sides now hate each other. All this may sound like sour grapes (and England are no angels) but look at the replays and you’ll see what I mean.
Maxie Allen
I know what you mean about the celebrations. I think this is Australia reverting back to the 2006/07 hostility, where they were purposely nasty and intimidated England. Unfortunately it seems to have worked again.
I agree we have come back from worse, but I really thought the batting today was fairly spineless. In the 1st innings you could argue that Mitchell Johnson bowled a great unplayable spell, but there was nothing like that last night. 81/5 is pathetic really.
I don’t know about you FT, but at the start of the start of the series I would have taken going to Melbourne at 1-1, although the circumstances in which we do so aren’t great.
Also going back to Headingley. In a way that victory caused Australia to go in to the Oval match with the wrong side. They played the four seamers at Headingley and then didn’t change the winning side for the Oval and leaving Hauritz out cost them.
Hopefully they might make the same mistake again here. As an England fan you have to like the look of Steven Smith batting at number 6 and hopefully being their front line spinner.
I couldn’t agree more mate. As I’ve just said on another threat, the Aussies won this match because England can’t bat on bouncy pitches. It had nothing to do with the Australian team selected, which has the wrong balance. Their batting still looks weak.