As I charged up the laptop to compose this column I was torn between two key views of the first Test at Trent Bridge.
The first is that that Australia had been ripped off by some dreadful umpiring, plus a DRS system that came down in favour of England on nearly every occasion.
The other was that the 14-run margin was not a true reflection of Australia’s batting deficiencies.
Both factors are true of course, but the opportunity to have a whinge was front and centre.
I felt for captain Michael Clarke and his valiant team, who deserved a better suck of the pineapple than what they got. But sport is rarely about justice, it’s about who gets across the line first. There will be no asterisk next to the ‘W’ in the England column.
This was an amazing, compelling Test match. The quality of the play was not high but the tension raised blood pressures all over the planet to dangerous levels, and in the end I’ll take drama and tension over quality and possible boredom every time.
The Australians would be sipping their rehydration fluids with twisted faces and heavy hearts after such a close-run result, but they have just a few days to pick themselves up and find a way to be much better at Lord’s on Thursday.
The colonial underdogs battled and struggled and scrapped and, at times, had England panicking.
The home side’s confidence and self belief will have suffered from this contest, which may not be good thing for Australia as England steel themselves for four more Tests of dogged resistance.
Australia’s batting was topsy turvey and not convincing, yet the game still went down to the wire. Ed Cowan must be moved aside for Usman Khawaja. Phil Hughes should be installed at first drop with Khawaja at five, unless the boy genius Ashton Agar finds himself in the top six
Let’s face it, when the strength of your batting is the 10th wicket partnership, a review of the order is required.
Chris Rogers looked good. He is a great leaver of the ball and he handled the superb Anderson the best. He is an old-fashioned Test opener.
Watson looked his usual self in the second dig, including the LBW arriving on cue around the half century mark.
The captain won’t fail twice in a match again, and Smith and Hughes both made scores.
The tail-end contributions were touted as important before the Test match and this proved to be the case, and will again. There is much improvement left in the Australians, mostly from the batsmen.
In the bowling, despite Siddle and Pattinson’s stirling efforts, Mitchell Starc lacked consistency in both control and tactics.
What is this going around the wicket with the newish ball for goodness sake? When the ball is reversing I can see the reason behind the thinking, but the bowling coach had better get on top of the new ball angles soon, because Ryan Harris and Jackson Bird would both be handy replacements.
The players of both teams provided the thrilling contest, but the main factor in this match was the sluggish pitch that contained only slightly more moisture than the Kalahari Desert.
The Australian players reckoned the pitch was ready to start on the previous Sunday. Apparently all the groundsmen for the series have been told to produce such beasts to suit the reverse swing supposedly mastered by Anderson and the spin of Swann (who lacked penetration in conditions that should have suited him).
Anderson is the master of new and old ball swerve, but the Australians used it quite well too.
Perhaps coach Darren Lehmann and selectors will consider two spinners at Lord’s given Agar was admirable in his control but, like Swann, lacked penetration. Remember he is selected as a bowler first and foremost despite his batting heroics – and how good that was!
Generally the rub of the green has a knack of evening out, and if that is to happen at Lord’s, along with a galvanised Australian batting performance, I can look forward to more sleep deprivation with a decidedly happier ending.
TK
Guest
I may have been a bit harsh on that one, but he made my point for me pretty well last night!
cuzza
Guest
+1
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Swann never faced Hayden or Langer. The openers in the 2009 Ashes were Katich and Watson. He's got the most mediocre bunch of Aus batsmen he's likely to get in this series. Needs to make hay while the sun shines.
Bobbo7
Guest
Australia needs to learn to use it reviews better. The system is mostly ok but. the players need to stop using it in hope. If they are not reasonably certain they should not review.
James
Guest
that pitch was not spin friendly at all, was still on the 5th day quite a good batting deck. he is much better than a 40 average
Colin N
Guest
Hughes was actually given not out, it was England who reviewed that one.
Colin N
Guest
He shouldn't have been given out because the evidence wasn't available to the third umpire, therefore it should have gone with the on-field umpire's decision which was not out. Pretty basic stuff that James, keep up.
Nudge
Guest
4 for 165 on a deteriating pitch against a batting group that doesn't play spin well.
James
Guest
yeah but swann spent a few years facing hayden, ponting, langer etc which would ruin anyones average, just as anyone who wasnt west indian during the 80s should have a few runs added to their batting average and a few taken off their bowling. statistics and averages can easily be screwed depending on who you faced and just as importantly where you faced them and what your role in the team was.
Pete B
Guest
Fair enough if he does get dropped. Even coming at the second ball is not the same psychologically as opening. Number 3 is such a hard position. It may prove the end of Cowan. To throw Khawaja in there is going to be equally tough on him. Can't we just put Kat there!
Hossey
Roar Guru
Umpiring blunders are always going to be around. Umpires don't lose matches, players do.
Renegade
Guest
Cowan and Warner instead of Hughes and Smith = Fail
James
Guest
agars i dont have that big a problem with, would have loved him not to get the additional 92 runs but it was as perfectly 50 50 as you could get (for my mind 51 49 with the 51 being out but batsmen benefit) though trott definetely was a shame. when you actually look at it i still think england lost more from drs than australia did. as obvious as broads out was it cost 28 runs and i back the australian bowlers to score that any day. not the australia top order though thats a little too many runs but the australian tail covers that easy.
James
Guest
using that what if though, if england had used the review for trott and roots dismissal that would have changed the game aswell and id argue even more so considering that broad got 28 more runs after and im willing to bet that trott and root could have gotten that if stayed in.
James
Guest
it came down in favour of the truth every time. and except for broad not being given out which meant 28 runs more to englands total, what were the horrible decisions that cost australia? haddin, clarke both got edges and agar got the benefit of the doubt on that stumping though that truly was a 50 50 and could have gone the other way. trott and root were both not out so i suppose they were bad decisions by the umpire but hardly horrible and i can remember who was out on review for australia when it looked like it wasnt in line bu turned out it was but that again was, to the naked eye not out, so hardly a horrible decision either.
Nudge
Guest
His records good mate you step away from the tv for priors 2 dismissles. If you did I can assure you they were disgusting
Disco
Roar Guru
Well said.
Disco
Roar Guru
Haddin's propensity to throw his wicket away makes him a liability when you consider his keeping isn't exactly polished. Intimidated of otherwise, his record is not that flash.
Ed Lamb
Guest
"The first is that that Australia had been ripped off by some dreadful umpiring, plus a DRS system that came down in favour of England on nearly every occasion." Glad to see you've already had a few comments questioning that. A different interpretation would be that but for wrong DRS calls on the Agar stumping and the Trott LBW the game would have been out of Australia's reach after day 2.
Nick
Roar Guru
I think Watson needs to come back from the dressing room about 5-10 minutes early and just wait by the pitch to give himself more time to ready and prepare himself for the next session. Often, the players leave the sheds, walk onto the ground, take their mark and then face the first ball...he just needs a few more minutes to ready himself.