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On Day Two of the Third Ashes Test at Edgbaston, the England cricket team returned to their 2005 winning formula – swing bowling. Onions and Anderson gave the Australians and the public a master class in swing bowling.
Late movement, excellent line and length, beautifully simple tactics: get the batsman playing the in-swinger, then, using the same line, bowl the out-swinger.
If that doesn’t work, reverse it, but maintain line and length, aiming for the top of off stump.
We have again seen the inherent weakness in the Australian batting lineup. They still can’t play good swing bowling, reverse or otherwise.
Mike Hussey remains in a deep form slump. He was dismissed by the identical ball to that which dismissed him at Lords. It again hit the top of off stump.
As a former team mate of mine once said, “It was on the stumps, so I let it go!”
Ponting’s innings lacked the necessary determination. He got a start, and poetically, having passed Allan Border’s record, it was a typical, stubborn, dour and disciplined Border-esque innings that the team needed from the captain and vice captain.
Hooking on a two height track is suicidal and, in the situation, unforgivable, particularly when, like Ponting yesterday, he didn’t watch the ball onto the bat.
Despite Shane Watson being the top scorer in Australia’s first innings at Edgbaston, his selection in the team and promotion to opener was, and remains, a big risk that is destined to fail with massive repercussions.
Firstly, his statistics at Test level didn’t justify his selection, let alone his promotion.
Secondly, his physical fitness record is extremely poor and unreliable. With Johnson out of form, Australia can’t afford to carry another player.
Thirdly, just as one swallow doesn’t make a summer, one session doesn’t make an opener.
Openers get the worst of the conditions and often have to “open” and then reopen the batting multiple times in any one innings.
His second start as an opener on the morning of day two, lasted 1 ball and threw the batting line up into such disarray that it never recovered.
Finally, and most importantly, this is the Ashes Test series, a once every two year contest of more than 130 years duration and one of the greatest contests in Australian and British Sport. It was a time for stability, not experimentation and unnecessary risk taking.
There is no doubt that Shane Watson is a very good looking batsman, technically. Bowlers will tell you that this doesn’t always equate to impressive batting averages and copious run scoring, particularly at test level.
On Day One of the third Test, his bat was straight, his leaving outside off stump was precise and he played within himself. His tactics of pulling the short ball and then driving the bowler’s subsequent fuller delivery was clever.
The selectors looked to have got it right.
The first ball of Day Two demonstrated that the selectors risky selection had failed and put the whole Australian Ashes campaign at risk.
We now know that Watson got his 62 from a wayward, ill-disciplined bowling attack and unusually docile, soft first day track.
Watson is not alone.
When the Australians took to the field, in similar conditions and a new Duke, the Australian bowlers were unable to repeat the success of their England fast bowling brethren.
England were 2-116 at the close of play on Day 2.
The Australians, batsmen and bowlers alike, have clearly not done their homework nor learned from the lessons of the failed 2005 Ashes campaign.
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