Make no mistake. Australia was thrashed in Adelaide.
The batting lacked conviction. The bowling lacked focus and the fielding was fragile. The captaincy was muddled and the overall application had the strength of a wet sponge. To turn this abject performance around would require the heroics of Headingley in 1981 and Eden Gardens Kolkata in 2001.
Australia has figured in some of the greatest Test matches ever played. We have just passed the 50th anniversary of the Brisbane tied test. England are still feasting on Botham’s’ and Willis’s heroics 30 years on. India’s famous win in Adelaide 2003 saw Australia lose from an unloseable position.
Today, in Perth, they have to win from what seems an unwinnable position.
Do they have the stomach for the fight? Do they have the keenness of eye that can effect a run-out or take a blinding catch. In Adelaide Johnson dropped Strauss and Doherty missed a run-out of Pietersen. This was costly.
In 2003 in Adelaide, Dravid was dropped on 9 by Gilchrist and then reprieved by Ponting when he was 20.
In times of crisis, it is best to evaluate your strengths.
Australia will know the conditions better. Ecept for Hughes,who has played only 7,the other four,Watson,Ponting,Clarke and Hussey have a combined total of 296 Tests.
England’s top four have 224. Ponting and Hussey both average over 50 and Clarke averages 48. Pitersen at 49.34 is nominally a 50’s average player and Trott is averaging 60. Australia on paper just edge England in the batting figures.
England have only won once in 11 attempts at the WACA. Australia on the other hand have only lost on 9 occasions of the 39 played there. Ponting is the highest run scorer in Tests at the WACA and Johnson had his best match figures( 11 for 159) at this ground.
These two hold the key to Australia’s fortunes.
Every innings Ponting plays from here on in will be scrutinised as never before. At 37( will be on the 19th of December) his age does not give him the luxury of failure. If Ponting is to survive, he must firstly do so as a batsman. He has to bat like he has never batted before.
He obviously cannot do it alone. Watson, Hughes, Clarke and Hussey all have to come to the party.
Clarke’s 80 in Adelaide stamped him as a batsman of exceptional class. But there is a fragility about him that sees him dismissed when set. If Clarke is to take the next two or three steps to greatness then he must start in Perth. Hussey is an old school fighter but like Ponting his advancing years demand he continues to excel.
This Test match will be won on the back of strong performances from the thirty somethings. Smith and Hughes are the future and anything of substance from them will be a welcome bonus.
Australia’s use of the new ball will be critical.
And the slips catching will have to be as good or better than England’s. Clarke and Watson have both dropped catches behind the wicket. Hussey has grassed a difficult one. Australia cannot afford to fall down in this fundamental aspect of cricket.
Finally we come to the enigma that is Mitchell Johnson. This man is a seriously good cricketer. But he has been woeful the last eighteen months. He has more tests than any of the other Aussie bowlers. And more test wickets.
He has to be the leader of the attack here. Not the first change bowler. I hope Ponting impresses this on him.
Dennis Lillee anointed Johnson as the next great thing and as president of the WACA he will have a word of encouragement for him. If that does not inspire our Mitch then nothing will.
If Australia go with four quicks, then they should consider bowling first.
So far in this series the team batting first has struggled. And if Perth is quicker than Brisbane and Adelaide then it makes sense to put the opposition in. England may well win the toss and bat first.
One way or the other, Perth will herald a new dawn in Australian cricket. Win and the decline will be halted. This, the selectors have decreed, is our best side. In that case win, lose or draw, this same 12 should be kept for Sydney and Melbourne.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Rabbitz,the English were untroubled except for one from harris,and Ponting was slow to react. he should have come forward but was caught in two minds. This more than his batting signifies a decline in the mind. Physically he looks great but that insidious voice in the mind is playing tricks. Except for a brief period when siddle and Hilfenhaus were running amok the English were disciplined in their line and length. They look a better team and it will take a heculean effort from the Aussie bowlers to turn this around. I am less confident than i was before the start that australia can revive its FLAGGING DESTINY.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Vinay, Yes the tail did wag (and I am glad it did). However, without taking anything away from the English bowling and fielding which was superb, how did we get to 5/69? The English batting didn't seem too troubled by the wicket or the bowling up to stumps. So we will see. I have put the axe away for now :)
MrKistic
Guest
Not too bad considering. There is of course an easy way to fix it in the 2nd dig - just reverse the batting order! One good thing though is Johnson's batting, we saw how he went against Victoria when he made runs recently and it shows his confidence may be up enough to get him fired up and bowling well. Let's hope so.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Rabbitz,Johnson ,Siddle and Hilfenhaus have spared australia's blushes and 268 is a fughting score from 5 for 69. There is life in the corpse yet. Now to see if the quicks can cause some mayhem among England.
Fisher Price
Guest
Ponting has a fading force for 2 years, so it's no surprise. He doesn't know better, despite telling the media he knows what he has to do.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Rabbitz,I have just watched four hours of the best Test cricket in a long while. England were superb in the first 20 overs. You'll read more of it in my piece at the end of the day. Yes one of the keys went missing. But it is a five day Test and we should not rush to the obituary section without reading the score at the end of the day. We will discuss this further I am sure.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Well Vinay, Looks like one of the 'keys' has gone missing and England are playing well enough to have this locked up in two and a half days. I hope you are right about Johnson.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
MrKistic,the Collingwood snaffle was sensational. I am not prepared to write off australia though it will take a concerted effort from the rest of the batters.mith and Hussey have survived to lunch and if australia can jag 280 this game is far from over.
MrKistic
Guest
You're quite right Vinay, one thing we forget in all the blood letting is that England are showing us how to do it and do it well. And of course when you're up, you're up, viz Collingwood's catch. It would be good to watch if only they were playing someone else!
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
MrKistic,what can i say except to admire England's execution. They are relentless and Australia can learn from this.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Watson out to a superb yorker from Finn and smith will have his work cut out. Hussey is playing like the gnarled veteran he is and will need to temper smith and coax him thru the initial overs. This should be a fight that smith will relish. Cricket sometimes throws up heroes in the most unklikliest places. At the moment England sense a kill and are catching and bowling like a champion side. have to admire and acknowledge that.
MrKistic
Guest
You're right Vinay, it would have been a great toss to win. Especially if you have bowlers who can pitch the ball and bowl to a plan. It will be hard to tell whether or not it would have worked as well for us until the 2nd innings. Hughes' selection has paid the dividend you'd expect when picking a bloke who's not scoring runs. Again, picked on hope, not form. Given that Hussey only has what, 12 seasons experience opening the batting at the WACA, why wouldn't you move him up to open and bring Khawaja in to bat 5? Turns out Hussey is facing most of the new ball these days anyway. As for Clarke, what are you doing man?? A bit like Johnson, he has all the opportunity in the world and just doesn't seem to want to take it.
MrKistic
Guest
You're right there Walt, he hasn't had to work so much. And now because they know how he reacts to being told that he has to work hard or worse, is being dropped for poor form, they call it a "planned omission" after the fact. Just to keep his spirits up. How can this go on?!? Harden up sunshine, it's test cricket!
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Ponting picked the pitch right and nominated the four quicks. Pity he lost the toss and Australia have to work hard from 3 for 27 to get back in this game. 280 is a par score as there will be something with the new ball through the test and days two and three the pitch can be quicker. Hughes has the second innings to come good. he was tentative and should have played straight instead of trying to whip it to midwicket. He will learn from that. Ponting and clarke should have known bettewr than to play at the ones they got out to. Bad judgement and hard to excuse. Johnson becomes even more important now. Nee to survive to lunch without anymore damage.
Walt
Guest
Johnson is in a difficult spot because he hasnt had to fight as hard for his spot that other bowlers have. I think it is unfair to say he has been "spoonfed" the baggy green as many others say, but he does lack a certain hunger for the new ball. Johnson lacks motivation and someone needs to get in his ear and really sell him idea of becoming a legend. Johnson is afraid of failing in front of everyone - but nobody is going to mind if he fails giving it his all.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
MrKistic,not much else in the bowling barrell. Johnson has an awful lot to answer this test. In the end we cannot keep picking him if he does not perform. Bowling is also team work. All four bowlers need to play their part. This is where Hilfenhaus and harris loom as the consistent bowlers and it may rub off on Johnson.Time to repay the faith,Mitch.
MrKistic
Guest
Well, all personal barbs aside and despite the many varied reasons for his performance, we are currently all picking Johnson in the team based on hope alone. His form has been terrible recently, which I think we can all agree on. So why keep picking him and hoping?? As good as he may have once been / may be again, currently he's not. Of course the short answer is, who else have we got?
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Seiran, i read that Ponting is also debating the use of four quicks. But as for bowling first he will have second thoughts. In this case I think australia's best chance is to bowl first when the english are stillgetting used to the WACA bounce.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
KMH, Freudian slip. Brisbane it was. I hope Johnson can perform like i know he can. And I enjoyed your piece on Bruce Edgar in Inside Cricket,which is out now.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Rabbitz,You are fully entitled to your thinking and there was a time when we expected our athletes to all be tough and uncompromising. Think Lillee,Marsh,the chappells and Waugh S. Going back further the Slasher mackays and Lindwealls and harvey,simpson et al. But we live in a changing world and our perceptions may need to be modified. I know I am at odds with my children sometimes but to dismiss them out of hand is not the answer. If Johnson had no talent whatsoever I could agree with your approach. I have never read Woman's Day but obviously a lot do read it. And in a way I feel for hauritz because he is treated differently to johnson and may need the same nurturing. You are right about Johnson's mental fragility but i am not convinced your way is the right way for him. With all due respect,of course.