England face a massive challenge to work their way back into this Ashes series after being mauled over the past two days as Australia bulldozed towards what could be a lopsided win in the first Test.
Australia will start the fifth day needing only 56 runs for victory, having cantered to 0-114 at stumps yesterday. All so often the tone for an Australian home summer is set in the first Test at the Gabba, where the home side have not been beaten for 29 years.
More Ashes
» Match report: Australia go 1-0
» Five talking points from the match
» The Liebke ratings
» Steve Smith, batting genius
» Relive Day 5 with our live blog
Last time England toured they were left demoralised after being bullied by Australia’s fearsome pace attack, a thrashing which laid the foundation for a 5-0 whitewash.
They have not been vaporised in the same manner this week, but England will be anguished by the way in which Australia turned a vulnerable position early on Day 3 into a commanding one by stumps on Day 4.
With a giant upset in their sights, England fell in a heap. Their lack of bowling depth was exposed as was their frailty with the bat against high-quality pace. Both of these areas shaped as potential major weaknesses for England leading into this series.
In an ominous sign for the tourists, Australia’s star quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were well below their best in this Test yet still made a big impact.
While spinner Nathan Lyon and first-change paceman Pat Cummins were consistently impressive, Australia’s new ball pair looked rusty, both having only recently returned from injury.
Hazlewood’s trademark precision was absent during several spells, while Starc clearly struggled for rhythm at times, stretching out in his delivery stride as if feeling for the crease, rather than cruising through it.
They still managed to produced pivotal spells, with Hazlewood removing Alastair Cook and James Vince with the new ball late on Day 3, and Starc later taking three wickets inside two overs to end England’s resistance.
The fact Starc and Hazlewood were off the boil yet still collected combined figures of 10-231 is a boon for Australia and a red flag for the tourists. Australia comprehensively outbowled England, despite having huge room for improvement.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The tourists desperately need to make inroads into the Australia batting this morning. Not to keep alive their hopes of victory, as this Test is already gone, but rather to regain some momentum and confidence heading into the day-night Test at Adelaide, the match in which conditions should most suit England.
Australia have no such worries; suddenly their outlook is bright. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have found touch, Steve Smith appears impregnable, and their attack looks dramatically more potent and versatile than England’s.
[latest_videos_strip category=”cricket” name=”Cricket”]
Australia needed such a rousing start to this series as they will be sternly tested by England quicks James Anderson and Stuart Broad on a likely juicy deck at Adelaide.
That experienced pair have the ability to scythe through the Australians with the pink ball. But they’ll need their teammates to rid themselves of the malaise which has been evident over the past day-and-a-half of the first Test.
England know they’ve frittered away a gilded opportunity in this match. If they can’t quickly regain their composure and combativeness, this series could swiftly turn into a bloodbath.
Mark Henessey
Guest
I disagree. a typical Gabba wicket isn't that slow and certainly doesn't get easier to bat on day 5. This one was inferior to the one that India played on in 2015. Winning the toss and batting first usually sets up the game as chasing anything 200+ batting 4th is tricky. Lucky that Aus won because of a top notch innings by Rogers, winning with 6 wickets down last time.
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
The major reason for England's failure in the First Test is the total failure of Alistaire Cook and Joe Root's inability to convert a good start in to a big innings. England's reputed pacers Anderson and Broad were not effective in the Australian conditions.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I have read that about athletics. Many bowlers say that they need to bowl more, a few of the older ones said you needed to run more. There is a thought that kids now specialise too early and are not playing enough different sports/activities as teenagers. Starc wants everyone to suit up again in Adelaide, which sounds more like a plea to Pat Howard.
Matth
Guest
And no way Bancroft could shake off a headbutt from Stokes either.
Matth
Guest
But English and Lose seem to rhyme perfectly.
DavSA
Guest
Fully agree Rellum. I have however been involved in coaching athletics more specifically 10000m upwards to Ultra marathons and it is interesting how sport scientists have fundamentally even up to 180 degrees switched positions on certain training/dietary and resting principals.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Based on Alex Kuntouris own figures the injury rate to fast bowlers has not changed over the last 20 years. All that resting, informed player management, bowling loads and now restricting even kids to so many overs has made no difference to just doing it the old ways. They are more who argue against the current methods. Steffan Jones is one. http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21396859/we-building-fragile-bowlers-steffan-jones I am not against sports science or approaching things in a scientific way but when the outcomes are so poor then the methods have to be questioned.
DavSA
Guest
It is an interesting topic qwetzen. Somehow in the evolving influence of sports scientists and dare I say it high performance managers there seems to be an automatic inference that every fast bowler injury is an "overuse" outcome. The fact that a instantaneous trauma injury is a result of sustained stress is nonsense . There is not necessarily a correlation. I am loosely quoting Dale Steyn here but he is on record as saying that the more he bowls the better he gets .
Rellum
Roar Guru
Someone should tell the QLD batsmen that T20 has meant to have improved that last innings hitting, 360deg batting and all that. These last three overs have been a bit embarrassing. Haven't laid bat on anything.
Rellum
Roar Guru
He said next game but was bowling well in the nets. The pitch over there is so easy to bat on I guess he decided to try his arm to get a wicket.
qwetzen
Guest
And M Marsh is bowling. I thought he wasn't to bowl till 2018?
Rellum
Roar Guru
Check out Swepson's ball to get Mitch Marsh. It is almost Warne like.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Yeah, the pitches are changing. This one certainly fits your description. Last year we had some different wickets that gave the quicks some assistance and not many runs were scored. For a few years before that we did have a good proportion of what everyone calls a road.
Jeffrey Dun
Roar Rookie
".... it is not surprising to me that it was easy to bat on for the last day... Seems to me that batting on day 5 in Australia is the best time to bat. Once pitches were supposed to assist the quicks for a day or so then flatten out then help the spinners at the end. The pitch for this match was not a typical Gabba pitch, but it was a road for day 5 - just like last year when Pakistan made 450 to almost win the match. For test matches in Australia I don't know why captains would hesitate to put insert the opposition, because they know, in all probability, they will be batting on a road on day 5.
DavSA
Guest
Just a word on the pitch . A super test wicket. Rewarded in equal measure good batting , spin and pace bowling . This is how it always should be and this kind of wicket brings the crowds back to test cricket .
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
It was a very good decision to drop Renshaw for Bancroft. Renshaw has a massive future but he is in a very deep form trough, he'd have been eaten alive by Broad and Anderson.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Vic have 8 catches around the bat as Cowen and Copeland are putting up a great rear guard action. Ed came in at 9, there was a night watchman but is he injured?
Rellum
Roar Guru
Renshaw out for 7. Hopefully that is that last wicket. Out caught behind, things not improving for Matty.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Sorry qwetzen, I should have replied straight under David, I certainly got your point.
Rellum
Roar Guru
No, not long at all, just started last week.