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More questions than answers emerged from an intriguing Day 1 of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba today.
Australia recovered from a disastrous batting collapse to finish the day on 8-273 thanks to a sensational seventh-wicket partnership of 114 between Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson.
Will Johnson’s batting feed his bowling confidence?
Mitchell Johnson’s sublime performances at Test level have come in clusters.
When he builds momentum mentally and physically he can wreak havoc with ball or blade.
Historically, success in one discipline increases the likelihood he will prosper in the other.
Similarly, his decline as a bowler in recent years has coincided with dwindling batting returns incongruous with his obvious talent.
Australia will be praying that his circumspect innings of 64 today will banish the uncertain, wayward Mitch and prompt his assured, lethal alter-ego to emerge.
Johnson has played several innings more beguiling than today’s display.
In South Africa four years ago he repeatedly dismantled the home side’s brilliant pace attack, including an extraordinary 123 not out from 103 balls.
Never before though has his played with this level of maturity.
It could turn out to be the most important innings of his Test career.
He has ensured that Australia remain a chance of starting this Ashes with a triumph.
If they are to fully capitalise on the rearguard partnership by he and Haddin, Johnson must produce a similarly influential effort with the ball.
The confidence gained from both this innings and his incisive spells in the two recent ODI series may well propel Johnson to locate rare destructive bowling form tomorrow and, perhaps, for the remainder of the series.
Can Michael Clarke conquer his number four and Stuart Broad hoodoos?
It makes little sense. Arriving at the crease with your side two wickets down instead of three logically should not prompt a huge shift in your fortunes.
Yet somehow that subtle change derails Michael Clarke over and over again.
The Aussie skipper’s meek dismissal to a Stuart Broad short ball this morning took his Test record batting at number four to 889 runs at an average of 25.
His returns batting at second drop appear ever more dire when considered in contrast to his figures at number five – 5829 runs at 64.
Granted, a number four has to battle fresher bowlers hurling a shinier projectile and Clarke’s most pronounced weakness is against the moving ball.
But several of his grandest Test innings have been crafted in the wake of a top-order collapse.
In those circumstances he blunted and then mastered marauding attacks in possession of a well-preserved ball.
I have argued in favour of Clarke coming in at his current position in the batting order.
My reasoning is that, as comfortably his country’s best batsman, he is needed to try to halt the aforementioned and all-too-common flurries of wickets.
I would have been content for Clarke to slide down to five this Test had we had a reasonable alternative to bat ahead of him.
However, neither debutant George Bailey nor developing youngster Steve Smith are suited to such a role.
Clarke will almost certainly stay put for the foreseeable future.
Making it even more difficult for him to adapt to the cursed number four spot will be the presence of his chief tormentor Broad.
England’s villainous quick has conquered his Aussie foe six times in the past six Tests at an average of 14.
He has variously dislodged him LBW, clean bowled, caught behind, caught in close or playing on to his stumps.
In other words, there is no one approach Broad is exploiting to design Clarke’s downfall.
Rather, he has exhibited a complete dominance of Australia’s batting lynchpin.
How much will these dual hoodoos play on Clarke’s mind throughout the remainder of this series?
Was George Bailey just nervous?
The optimist in me believes Bailey’s ungainly dismissal on debut was the result of overwhelming nerves.
My pessimistic appraisal is that it highlighted a problem which has plagued Bailey at times in first-class cricket – his eagerness to feel bat on ball from the start of his innings.
The 31-year-old was fidgety at the crease today, which is not surprising for a debutant being asked to rescue his side from the perilous scoreline of 4-83.
When he stroked his first delivery faced through mid on for three Aussie fans hoped it would calm his jitters.
It was not to be.
Bailey flirted with a succession of deliveries outside off, playing with his blade well away from his body.
From the fifth delivery he faced he edged Anderson just short of a diving Matt Prior.
From his 14th ball he sparred at another Anderson delivery which would have been best left alone.
From his 15th ball he once more hung out his bat, offering a regulation catch to Cook at slip.
Bailey is known at Sheffield Shield level as a batsman who does not often leave the ball.
He will need to curb this habit if he is to successfully counter the likes of Anderson and Broad.
Can Haddin restrain his attacking instincts more often?
Haddin’s sublime innings today only served to highlight what a frustrating cricketer he is.
Prodigiously gifted with the blade for a wicketkeeper, the Australian vice captain too often starts innings in an assured, impressive fashion before donating his wicket with a needlessly cavalier stroke.
Today he showcased the invaluable ability to switch gears in his batting.
He began in typically belligerent fashion, cantering to 22 from just 25 balls thanks to some generous offerings from the English bowlers.
The touring side then tried to asphyxiate Haddin and Johnson with a spell of tight, albeit relatively unthreatening bowling.
Rather than attempting to maintain the rollicking pace of his innings, Haddin shackled his natural aggression.
He scored just 28 runs from his next 74 balls to register his half century.
Haddin may well be required to assume the greater responsibility of batting in the top six at some point this series to allow Australia to play all rounder James Faulkner.
Today’s sophisticated innings of 78 not out from 132 balls will have convinced the Aussie selectors he is capable of fulfilling such a role.
Has Chris Tremlett proved he was the right choice?
Tremlett is not the bowler he once was.
When last he toured Australia the hulking English paceman haunted the Aussie batsman with his venomous offerings.
Operating at speeds of up to 145kmh, the rearing lift he extracted from the responsive Aussie decks was too much for many of his opponents to counter.
This time around, Tremlett is more of a gentle giant.
Based on today’s evidence he has lost about 10kmh in pace.
His bounce, however, is as steepling as ever. Just ask Steve Smith.
The Aussie youngster fell victim to a snarling delivery which exploded off a length and caught Smith high on his blade before lobbing to Alastair Cook at first slip.
Realistically, Tremlett does not need to be the strike force he was in 2010-11 when he came into the side after Broad and Steven Finn produced unconvincing performances earlier in the series.
Now, Anderson and Broad provide sufficient firepower so he need only be consistent and frugal.
He was just that today, maintaining a line and length which tested every batsman he encountered.
Finn and Boyd Rankin may well have produced more wicket taking deliveries had they played today.
But against Australia’s impatient and often unjustifiably arrogant batting line-up, patience and accuracy is the key.
More often than not the Aussies will manufacture ways to gift their wickets, as we witnessed today.
England made the right choice for their third seamer.