We have a bit of a break before we head to Perth for the third Test and England will be ruing a missed opportunity after having a chance to win on the last day in Adelaide.
England were well and truly out of the game after two days of play, but they fought their way back with a barrage of good bowling and some impressive lower order batting.
In the end, it counted for nothing as Australia’s bowling attack ran through them on the fifth day.
The conversation on The Roar‘s live blogs indicates Australia dominated most of the match, which they indeed did.
Here’s a summary of the Test as told by the comments of Roarers in real time.
Day 1 – Australia 4/209
Joe Root elects to bowl first
Jameswm – Panicked decision showing a lack of confidence in their batsmen
Rellum – If we see off this opening spell the decision to bowl first will be a bad one. The best time to bowl with a pink ball is the first our of the night session.
Ryan H – Makes some sense; England clearly wanting to make use of their strengths first up; but it’s undoubtedly a bold call. Must take probably two minimum in the first session.
England’s slow start
Danwain – Don’t want to jinx it but England look incredibly unhappy here, Australia with a chance to really cash in.
Ronan O’Connell – Good rain break for England – they look flat as a tack after their bizarre decision to bowl first.
Cameron Bancroft gets run out
Mattw – Warner sold Bancroft down the river there, said no, then started off on the miss field only then did Bancroft take off to run.
Tully 101 – Broad letting Warner know about it as well. Interesting reaction after only one wicket and after also losing the firt Test by 10-wickets
On Peter Handscomb
Rellum – Handscomb is giving me palpitations every ball.
Another first day of slow scoring
Basil – Tough cricket. This would have to be the slowest scoring Ashes series I’ve seen in a long time. Two teams terrified of losing and therefore not willing to take risks.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Day 2 – Australia 8d/442, England 1/29
England’s better start
Ryan H – Exactly what Eng needed to do, that was as plumb as can get. You could tell from the first couple of balls that there would be a little bit on offer for Broad
Jameswm – Perfect start for England, but our unwanted pair are fighting back. An hour of these two would put Australia well on top.
Ronan O’Connell – England have bowled really well today, Australia have done well to only lose one wicket.
Joe Root’s defensive captaincy
Jarryd – Root has the mindset of an U12’s captain. Oh a pull shot, better put someone out there. Didn’t think we’d see a more defensive captain than Cook.
Rock – Root is such a reactive defensive captain.
Anderson bowls a short ball and gets pulled for 4 so Root drops the mid-wicket back, why for one bad ball.
Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine and the DRS
Jameswm – A few fist pumps there. Hope he makes the best of it.
Gilly used to get out soon after being dropped, almost like he didn’t think he should be there any more.
Pat Cummins in no rush
Doug Graves – So Cummins is 0 after 34 balls, does anybody know what’s the record for balls faced to get off the mark?
Marsh hits a century
Damo – Full credit to Marsh. We’ve needed a 6 that can stand up and stop middle order collapses. He’s 2 from 2 now despite his checkered history.
World’s Biggest – Great knock Marsh, what a vital innings that was. Once again he keeps the doubters quiet including myself. Should be an interesting session tonight.
Australia bowling too short
Damo – That’s why you bowl full. You might go for more but more chance to take wickets.
(Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)
Day 3 – Australia 8d/442 and 4/53, England 10/227
Joe Root gets out
Ouch – Bye Joe
Ryan H – Oh dear…it might completely unravel from here
Alastair Cook disappears
Damo – The way Cook was lunging, that was nothing else but inevitable.
‘The GOAT’ takes a screamer
JD St George – What a catch! Nathan Lyon was flying.
Jamesb – Lyon must love bowling to left-handers like Cook, Stoneman, Malan and Ali
England fighting back before tea
Edward L’Orange – Good time for the break I think. England just getting nudging a nose back in front, despite excellent bowling.
Overton and Woakes partnership gets dangerous
XI – The Aussies seem to have lost focus and discipline during this partnership. Too confident the wicket would just come rather than trying to bring it about.
England bowling too short
Rellum – The English bowlers have been so poor tonight. Anderson is way too short.
Not enforcing the follow-on
Basil – The fear of enforcing the follow on could give England a sniff.
Reullum – We could have had Starc steaming in tonight bowling his yorkers. We really missed a opportunity to kill them off.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium – If there was ever a time to enforce a follow on this was it. Australia had the chance of taking 4 or 5 top order English wickets in conditions that suited the quicks but were too timid to take it. But with a lead of 268 and 6 wickets still in hand I think I know whose side I’d rather be on. Interesting situation. By taking the conservative option of batting again the Aussies have given the Poms a sniff. But you would think it will be a more even contest tomorrow afternoon. If Australia can get to a lead of between 350 and 400 it should be enough.
(WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)
Day 4 – Australia 8d/442 and 138, England 10/227 and 4/176
Another soft Peter Handscomb dismissal
Edward L’Orange – He’s in real trouble now. He did not look good, and with Maxwell getting 96, he’s under pressure.
And it’s just annoying, we needed him here.
Brian – Handscomb looks like going the way of Gary Ballance.
The selectors may yet achieve their dream of Marsh at No 5 and Marsh at No 6
The need to bowl under lights
Rock86 – It’s not even about the runs here, as we probably already have enough, but it’s about batting time so we get a crack at the English batsmen at the right time for best wicket taking period.
England weren’t out of it
Ryan H – Lucky Aus have so much on the board. Do they have enough? They probably do, but England could go close if they actually apply themselves at the crease which they haven’t really shown they can do that.
Cook and Root the key
Swannies – This will be a phenomenal run chase for England to haul in 350 but Cooky and Root are capable of anything. Let’s hope they make a decent start.
The best since Warne
Simon – I think it was exactly two years ago in the first D/N Test we were talking about how much Lyon had improved a lot.
But now he’s really improved, like out of sight. Can’t remember enjoying watching a spin bowler bowl so much other than SK Warne
England are a chance
Geoff from Bruce Stadium – Wow. What a scenario. You’d have to think England are a real chance tomorrow with Root batting so well and Bairstow and Ali still in the sheds. I give them a real chance. And Smith only has himself to blame with his negative captaincy allowing England back in to the match. Smith will be having a sleepless night tonight and will be praying his bowlers get the job done for him tomorrow.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Day 5 – Australia 8/442 and 138 defeat England 10/227 and 10/233
The importance of early wickets
Scott Pryde – Here we go. Gotta get Root early.
Tom M – Joe Root the Key. Him, Bairstow and Ali need to hang around
Controversy surrounds the wicket of Woakes
Ben Conkey – So if that was given not out by Aleem Dar, would snicko have been enough to overturn the decision? Hot Spot seems to be so inconclusive.
Ronan O’Connell – Not sure how that Woakes decision could be controversial – clear nick sound, bat was miles from anything else it could have clipped, and there was a result on the snicko as the ball was passing the bat. Good decision.
Root’s wicket signals the end
Pedro the Maroon – That’s it. Unless someone does a Faf du Plessis.
Ryan H – England’s 2nd innings batting capitulation has ruined their chances two tests in a row.
(Photo by Mark Brake – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images)
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Joey B
Guest
and "we have a long tail." Maybe they were referring to the dags hanging from their backsides!
Joey B
Guest
And all the poms were saying "we bat deep these days!"
Internal Fixation
Guest
He sleeps with the fishes
George Jetson
Guest
I think what we've learned from this test is the Aussie brains trust need to think a little differently to the way they always think, I'm not specifically referring to the non use of enforcing the follow on. On the third day the Aussies took quick wickets and thought they'd run straight through the Poms, but of course didn't and encountered some (welcome) resistance. The Aussies kept aiming for the magical wicket taking ball and of course leaked runs. Runs weren't the issue, time was. With this it meant the Aussies faced the new ball in the night session. Australia should've dried up the runs in the second session and gone for the throat in the the third session, the collapse was always inevitable it was just a case of when and how you control it. With the Aussies facing the new ball under lights they were made to look very humble and gave the Pommy bowlers a lot of confidence that maybe they'll take into the next test (doubtful though). For a bit of very interesting reading I'd suggest finding a book written in 1948 by a little known batsman by the name of Donald Bradman called 'Brightly Fades the Don'. In it he mentions strange tactics (by today's thinking) of declaring with minimal runs on the board just so they could exploit, in his words "sticky wickets". Risky ideas that generally worked and meant the Australians weren't batting in the worst of conditions.
Simoc
Guest
Roots decision to bowl wasn't supported by the bowlers who bowled crap. He would have wanted three wickets by lunch and the conditions were right for his bowlers. Australias decision not to enforce the follow on was fine. If they couldn't muster 200 between them they weren't trying hard enough. But the mindset was probably already that the game was in the bag. Its hard to avoid that conclusion when you know Root, Cook and Bairstow must get pretty much all the runs. One might come off or they might score a fairy tale. But I reckon the Australian attack is up there with the best so they never get a chance to relax. While England are competitive they are playing a superior team and they need to play out of their skins to win. They've done well so far and are still 2-0 down. They could fold in Perth.
Alan
Guest
This is a bit OTT fellas - the comments section is already largely "Look at me look at me look at me..." and now you're offering replays???
Larry1950
Guest
So what have we learned aside from England being very ordinary? I reckon Root bowled first because he was concerned at getting routed if the Aussie pace attack got first use of the pitch. Very defensive ploy! Form from season to season is fleeting, ask Matt Renshaw & Peter Hanscombe who are shadows of their debut series selves. More thought should go into playing in pink ball day/night tests, early morning humidity is not there to assist bowlers, pitches have less early life because the covers come off & they get midday sun before use, the final hour or so under lights is potentially game changing for any reasonable attack, Smith could have enforced the follow on as the bowlers would have got a long rest with a decent sleep in, current day umpires struggle to judge the bounce on any wicket ( or ball tracker is flawed).
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
So is this The Roar's version of a clip show? If so, why wasn't it written and directed by the world's foremost clip show host, Troy McClure?
Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
I commented on a comment, of a comment, about a comment commenting on comments
Matting wicket
Guest
No comment! :)
Sam Bunn
Roar Rookie
Say no more
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Couldn’t agree more with your comment DJ !
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
If someone comments on my comment here it will be a comment about a comment commenting on comments!
Boydy-In-Brisbane
Guest
England lost their last 6 wickets for 56 runs in the first innings of the first test and then their last 6 for 79 in the second. The last 5 for 96 in the first innings of this test (which included a 66 run 8th wicket stand) and then their last 7 for 64 in the second dig. I suspect that there will be an entire generation of English kids who will grow up thinking that "English batting collapse" is one word.