Can Australia compete in the next three Tests? Should Lyon replace Agar? Can the Aussie batsmen follow Khawaja’s lead? How much worse can the umpiring get in this series?
» Relive Australia’s second innings, all out for 235, chasing 583.
Can the Aussie batsmen emulate Usman Khawaja?
The new first drop’s dismissal in the first innings was a microcosm of everything disturbing about Australia’s batting. It embodied impatience, carelessness and ineptitude.
In the wake of Australia’s comical collapse, English greenhorn Joe Root spent day three laying down a blueprint for how the Australians should behave at the crease.
Unfortunately, Khawaja appears to be the only one who was taking notes.
Similar to Root, Australia’s new first drop endured a torrid time early in his innings yesterday as fresh bowlers buoyed by early wickets assaulted him relentlessly.
Just like his English counterpart, the newly minted Queenslander braved this arduous session before unfurling expansive strokes once set at the crease.
It is a batting strategy as old as cricket itself but one at which most of the Aussies turn up their noses.
Khawaja crept to 7 from 39 balls as he came to terms with the bowling. Confident he had sufficiently assessed the conditions and his opponents, he then shifted gears, cracking several trademark pull shots as he added 29 runs in the space of 25 balls.
The sole conspicuous flaw in Khawaja’s approach was his lack of urgency against spin.
That is not to suggest that he should have tried to flay Graeme Swann and Root. Rather I would suggest he closely examines the manner in which his skipper combats tweakers.
The word which best seems to illustrate Michael Clarke’s play against spin is ‘busy’. He does not allow spinners the comfort of settling onto a length and repeating the same delivery six balls in a row.
Clarke continually skips down the pitch to the slow bowlers but rarely as a means to slap them over the infield.
More often he lashes the ball along the turf down the ground or, if the delivery is too challenging to be dispatched, he treats it with the due respect offered by a dead bat.
Khawaja may not be comfortable in replicating Clarke’s nimble style. But he does need to develop his own method of unsettling spinners.
There were hints yesterday of the tactic which may prove most fruitful for Khawaja when facing spin. On occasion he shuffled deep into his crease to either carve the ball through point or clip it through square leg.
By using the full depth of the crease he was able to turn length deliveries into near-long hops.
It is an indication of how dire Australia’s batting has been when an innings of 54 is the most substantial reason for hope. But it was genuinely encouraging to finally witness an Australian batsman shelve his ego in favour of occupying the crease and grafting for a score.
Should Nathan Lyon take Ashton Agar’s place?
No matter how captivating and beguiling his debut, teenage tweaker Agar has been a profound failure in the role he was selected to fulfil.
Acting on intuition that the precocious West Australian would flourish at Test level, or perhaps a more calculated belief he may help quell Kevin Pietersen, the Aussie selectors thrust Agar into the blinding pressure of a lopsided Ashes contest.
There is compelling evidence he has the aptitude and temperament required of a Test cricketer.
But he needs time. Time to develop his variations, time to concoct crafty strategies, time to build unerring trust in his competence, time to experience the depths and heights of first-class cricket.
Australia do not possess a mesmerising, marauding, match-winning spinner of the ilk of Swann.
They do, however, have a solid exponent of the craft who has endured the fiercest challenges the sport has to offer and come out of that a more effective, more composed and more cunning bowler. His name is Nathan Lyon.
Far more accomplished spinners than he have completed a Test tour of India with figures considerably less heartening than the 15 wickets at an average of 37 he collected in his last series for Australia.
Vaporised by a rampant MS Dhoni in the opening match of that series, Lyon was promptly dropped for the first time in his two-year career.
Rather than dwell on the pain of this setback, he worked assiduously in the nets, earned a recall and snared nine wickets in the final Test.
Lyon dislodged noted players of spin Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli twice in that match as he adeptly implemented a fresh stratagem of trapping them LBW from around the wicket.
The passion, resilience, maturity and intellect Lyon showed in designing his comeback are precisely the attributes missing from the Aussie line-up.
He is one of the few Australian players who have consistently displayed a searing desire to do justice to their baggy green cap.
At just 25 years old, the South Australian is still a pup in spin terms. Most tweakers don’t reach their peak until their late 20s.
In fact, Swann had to wait until he was 29 just to make his Test debut, while the world’s best spinner Saaed Ajmal was 31 when he first played Test cricket for Pakistan.
Agar won’t suffer from being dropped. Quite the opposite – he will benefit from the experience of performing on cricket’s grandest platform and being made redundant by gifted and canny opponents.
How much worse can the umpiring get?
Farcical is the only way to accurately describe the umpiring so far in this series.
It is unfortunate, because it detracted from a phenomenal contest in the first match and may now take away from a commanding English performance in this Test.
Similar to the dumfounding decision to deem unfair a clear catch claimed by Steve Smith on day three, yesterday’s DRS-induced dismissal of Agar left the TV commentators astonished.
David Lloyd and Michael Holding were vociferous in their condemnation of the third umpire’s decision to adjudge Agar caught behind on review.
The replay was inconclusive as to whether the delivery from Tim Bresnan had kissed the edge of Agar’s bat. But the evidence from Hot Spot was emphatic – there was not the merest smudge visible on his blade.
Despite the lack of either an obvious deflection or a mark on HotSpot, the third umpire deemed a faint clicking noise as the ball passed the bat to be sufficient evidence of Agar’s dismissal.
Michael Holding was so incensed and perplexed by the call he sarcastically mused that Agar may have been adjudged lbw.
Former English keeper Alec Stewart, Australian champion Shane Warne and ex-Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody immediately took to Twitter to criticise the decision.
Twice in as many days Australia have been pick-pocketed by the third umpire. Fortuitously, neither incorrect decision has had any meaningful impact on the result.
Is there any hope of Australia competing over the next three Tests?
The Aussies may feel that, considering the success their quicks, led by Peter Siddle, have had against England’s batting guns, they need only post solid totals themselves to challenge robustly from here on.
They have suppressed Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior.
Regrettably for Australia, players of such ilk rarely have extended form slumps. Should even two of that quartet fire in the next Test it could amount to apocalyptic carnage.
The only way Australia can avoid being surgically dismembered over this series is if their skipper fires up.
Nothing shy of Herculean feats from the masterful strokemaker will narrow the current chasm between the sides.
JimmyB
Guest
Not bad for a lad who made his debut in 2006!
Tim
Guest
Nudge, I'm frustrated like everyone but I'm not a Clarke hater, I actually think he is doing an excellent job as Captain in the field and in his off field duties. I just think that as the best batsman in the side, he needs to focus on his own batting form in the context of the game to get the right results. Ronan suggested England are his bogey side, and yes Anderson is very dangerous but I think that the problem is that Clarke has refused to adapt his batting strategy to be successful against them. He should try to see off the dangerous Anderson by letting the wide ones go whilst watching for the inswinger. He also needs to curb his impatience to score. I remember an Ashes test in 2005 when Clarke was in the 90's - Vaughn made his bowlers aim wide of off stump and loaded the off side field to prevent Clarke scoring. They couldn't get him out but he couldn't score -so something had to give. Instead of waiting patiently, Clarke went for a rash shot to force a score and gave his wicket away - and his dismissal in the second innings in Lords seems to show that he still lacks the patience to just let the ball go - even when survival is the only objective - instead of impulsively trying to play it. England know this, which is why they are his bogey side - they encourage him to get himself out. Clarke should bat a no. 4 and focus on trying to bat longer through the innings - even if you don't score many, at least our bowlers get more than 3 hours break ! That is the best way to encourage his team mates - the other batsman have to just follow his lead as best they can.
Behold
Roar Rookie
The selectors need to show faith in their youngsters but I do think some players have been picked on their marketability rather than an actual observation of their game. It is easy to list stats to support different players in different situations but I just wish the selectors were paying more attention to technique and temperament rather than the score card in Shield cricket in particular. There are two players that really should have been in the Australian test team for at least half a decade, they both have represented Australia well in the shorter formats and probably played better in National Colours than they have for their States. They have had injuries when they were just about to take the next step, the players I am obviously talking about are Callum Ferguson and Shaun Marsh. Marsh's hundred on debut was a superb innings his 80 odd in his next match was also very good. His 40 odd in cape town on that impossible wicket even after he had thrown his back out showed real attrition. He was brought back into the test team to soon after recovering from his injury and hasn't got another look in once he had lost where is off stump was. Callum Ferguson exudes class at the crease and his busy batting style makes him the perfect 6 to replace Hussey. I hope in 5 years Australian cricket isn't picking Shaun Marsh for his first test in 7 years because we still have a failing top order as one series stop gap as they try and figure out what to do. I can't see them repicking the squad (which they probably should do now Boof is in charge) and hope that in the return leg we see. 1. Hughes/Rogers 2. Watson 3. Khawaja 4. Marsh 5. Clarke (C) 6. Ferguson 7. Hartley (VC) 8. Pattinson 9. Harris 10. Lyon 11. Bird. 12. Sayer. If Paine keeps well in the early rounds of Shield cricket and doesn't look to be favouring one hand Paine instead of Hartley also make him VC. If stats won matches there is no point in playing cricket just line the two teams up compare batting and bowling averages pick the difference and there is your winner. Why persist with Watson - his FC batting record is as good as anyone coming into the team, he is often our best bowler. If you want to use stats he faces more balls per innings than Warner, he has a better range of strokes than Cowan. The young guys haven't done enough and haven't tested their technique enough yet in FC cricket.
Bearfax
Guest
Dont think we're on the same page somehow Ronan on this one. I'm saying that like Bradman, who had a unique style, that what is considered the best technique is not necessarily the best technique or what alone is going to make you a top player. Just because people use it and it works doesnt mean there arent other techniques just as valid and perhaps superior. Some of the best players of any sport have their own unique style. It depends on whether the style meets all their needs and they have the perseverance to adapt and work on it so that it achieves the best means of meeting any frailties in the style. Muri, the spinner, was unique and the best at his form of spin bowling, yet not considered the best technique until his variations in technique became the best. Hayden was flawed yet his particular style made him the best opener Australia has so far seen. Thomson was flawed in style but became the perfect foil for Lillee and the most dangerous bowler of his time.. The Sri Lanka fast bowler, his name has slipped my mind, but recently retired with the most unusual side on whipping action was unique and one of the World's best fast bowlers. Yet I have seen many traditional players falter because they lack adaptability when what is considered the best technique, is found wanting. Shaun Marsh has an excellent technique, but he fails. Cowan has a good technique but he cant get beyond 40. So much is in the resolve and determination and adaptability of a player, that decides if they are to be a champion. And you cant know until the player is tested over time against the best and achieves consistency.
Alex
Guest
Khawaja no technique? That's a bit tough on the bloke. Yes, while he did look hapless against Swann in the first innings, who didn't? And he definitely made improvements against him in the second innings; he didn't get out for a while on that minefield outside his off stump.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Fair enough analogy.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I get your point Bearfax but Hughes was always a speculative prospect given his homespun technique whereas Root employs a method which has proven successful over the course of a century.
Bearfax
Guest
I think if Silk was coming into a team as strong as England in the batting line up, I might take the risk. But Australia's batting line up is too inexperienced and it would place an unrealistically high expectation on the kid to perform..Failures would be far more obvious in Australia's team at present. I agree let the present lot settle in and develop some consistency,,,and I think that will happen over the next 8 tests. then when the dust has settled bring Silk in, so he's got some experience around him. Despite contrary arguments, that's why I believe Root is doing so well. He's got solid support around him.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Clarke has been under massive pressure since he took the role as skipper and despite that he'd averaged something like 65 as captain up until this series. I just think England are his bogey team and he's trying to overcome the spectre of Anderson.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Unfortunately yes Warner is likely to get a call up if he makes a ton. Don't get me wrong, I think Warner is a huge talent who could be a very useful Test player for Aus. But he needs to be made to go back and really graft for his position.
Bearfax
Guest
Not disputing that fact SK, but what we've seen from the kid, Agar, so far is one good batting season and struggling spin bowling bettered by part timer Smith. He's got a long way to go to be considered a legitimate all rounder. Could happen in a few years but at the moment the kid has work to do on his spin bowling. He's got loads of potential, but he's had a fairy tail start with the big boys and we are getting a false impression of where he is at at this stage. At this stage I think Lyon is the better spin bowler. I'd leave Pattinson. He had a reasonable first test and an average second test. But this fellow has been our strike bowler for many tests and I wouldnt be discarding him because of one average showing. He's our quickest most penetrating bowler when on song. I think getting Katich in is very unlikely, despite a Katich-Rogers opening pairing looking a solid arrangement. I think Watson will stay but only until Warner gets his act together or Watson starts scoring big and getting wickets
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Not a bad selection but I really want to see Silk given at least one more Shield season to develop. Opening the batting at Bellerive he will rarely get cheap runs so the longer he gets his grounding there the better. I am always reticent to blood a player at Test level until they've played at least 20-25 FC games and Silk has FIVE.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I just think the selectors gambled on Agar's bowling and it hasn't worked. He is averaging 105 or something similar. Let Agar go back and have the development he needs in Shield cricket and give Lyon back the spot that he has earned.
Bearfax
Guest
Sorry Chris but that's based purely on conjecture, on your personal opinion and has no basis in fact. You might think that, and your argument in the end may be quite valid but as has been demonstrated in so many forums before technique does not a champion batsmen make. There have been champions with what have been considered flawed techniques, Bradman the most obvious, who have succeeded and batsmen considered to have flawless techniques like former Australian test cricketer Paul Sheahan who played 31 tests for an average of 34 while having a first class average of 46.. Technique I believe is a secondary issue. The primary factors are self belief and determination. Hughes has the latter and when he regains the former look out.
Sydney Kiwi
Guest
If Bird is brought in I reckon Agar stays otherwise Lyon, mainly to keep the runs tight and the pressure on. I feel the future for Agar may be as a second spinner / allrounder at number 6 but he has plenty of time to get there. Not sure about removing Patterson he seemed to be coming good in Englands second innings. However Australia does need wins from now on so it is understandable. I also wouldn't be surprised for purely the remainder of the English leg that Katich comes in but for who- you could argue Watson has been the worst but his bowling has been handy chuck him to number 6 and either Hughes or Smith can go. Haddin being vice Captain and all will probably stick around to the Australian leg. Should a more dedicated keeper be selected then they could merely switch with Agar in the batting lineup, hes good enough.
Rassie
Roar Rookie
Considering the SA pitches are the most difficult to bat on in the world
Chris
Guest
Clarke's getting better then...
Chris
Guest
There's a contradiction to this though. I agree it shouldn't have been given out, there wasn't enough evidence to do so. Yet he did hit it, that's fairly clear. Snicko backed that up.
Chris
Guest
The comparison doesn't work. Root will have his challenges as he carries on and teams work out how to bowl at him, but Hughes' technique was quite clearly appalling right from the off. I watched a fair bit of that South Africa series, and heard all my Australian friends talking about him, but it was obvious he was going to struggle as soon as anyone bowled properly at him. It was extraordinary South Africa didn't.
Rellum
Roar Guru
No. I think we will see at least a couple more collapses this series.