The first Test went pretty to much to the script with the ‘Gabba surface suiting the Kiwi bowling much better than their batting, and the Australians having enough class and experience to get the ‘W’ .
Ryder, Taylor, and Flynn looked to have a future at the top level, but no Black Cap could muster a decent score in either innings that would make the difference that was provided for the home team by Michael Clarke’s fortunate but gutsy first innings score and Simon Katich’s match winning second innings dig.
On a pitch giving the bowlers some assistance throughout, nothing extravagant, just enough to the prevent batsmen from feeling comfortable at the crease, the game danced to a different rhythm than that of the Indian series.
The hard slog faced by Lee, Johnson and Watson on grassless strips against Sehwag, Ghambir, Ganguly et al was a distant memory as the ball sailed through shoulder high to Brad Haddin and the slip cordon.
How a bowler could then be awarded the man of the match in such a low scoring match says more about the ignorance of the media men who select the recipient rather than the intrinsic value of the award. The difference between winning and losing went down to batsmen who had technique and temperament to build rather than bludgeon substantive scores.
There were precious few who did that from either team. The bowlers relied on persistence and let the pitch do the work for them rather than bend their backs to extract life and use their heads to work out a way past straight bats.
The superior performance of the match was clearly that of Simon Katich with his modified Chanderpaul / Willey pre-shot waddle and the ability to choose between deliveries which posed questions and should be left well alone or defended, and those that should be thumped through the covers for four or slid behind point for a couple.
That calibre of concentration and skill is what makes Test batsmen, not limited over sloggers or baseball batters at the 20/20 plate.
Mitchell Johnson toiled honestly, as he did in India, but he did not bowl above the average on that pitch. He did however bowl at some below average batsmen. His toolbox is limited but his plan is simple and when right handed batsmen continue to chase outside off stump the catchers behind the wicket will continue to be employed.
Any bowler who gets Chris Martin out should only be awarded a quarter of a wicket in any case. Most household pets could average 2.3 an innings.
He makes Bruce Reid look like Don Bradman. Mitchell Johnson had a chance at a Test hatrick with Martin in his crosshairs and couldn’t bowl any of 5 balls straight at the stumps. On that basis alone he should have been disqualified from the man of the match award.
Katich looked very much the Test player while fellow opener M. Hayden looked well past his best. At 37 Hayden is on the downward slide. It remains now for the selectors to move him on now rather than wait for the South Africans to get at him and a new bat found for the Ashes.
Chris Rogers made yet another Shield hundred on Saturday and should be put at the top of the order with Katich as soon as possible. The selection errors made before and during the India series will only be exacerbated if action is not taken quickly.
Shane Watson looked injured during the game, neither bowling or chasing in the field with vigour, and looking very stiff when batting but it is hard to see how Andrew Symonds form is any better than it had been during the Shield season. Symonds is retained for the 2nd Test and Watson dismissed, while Peter Siddle is back in the 12.
Jason Krezja will play in Adelaide and Siddle will carry the drinks (injuries permitting), so what has Watson done to deserve this treatment? Maybe he suggested to Ricky that he should have had a bowl after tea on day four in Nagpur.
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