It didn’t take long for all our fears about heading into a fifth day with a tricky run chase to be eased, and I sense England’s approach led to their downfall.
Having got themselves back into a postition of hope they may have been too negative when they came out for day four.
Yesterday I spoke about the crucial hour around the new ball, which was to be taken after 10 overs today, but England lost 3-11 before it was even due, and it was game over.
Were they too focussed on getting through the first 10 overs, and then getting through the new ball, hoping to get 20 overs past it when the pitch flattens out.
For me, that negativity brought Nathan Lyon into the game, and once he got that 400th wicket he bowled beautifully – fuller, with flight.
Then Cam Green, who’s getting better with every spell, came through with an 77th over outswinger to dismiss Joe Root, getting the old ball to swing because he’s got such good wrist release.
The game was blown open by an unreal bowling partnership between Lyon and Green but England were perhaps too conservative.
Joe Root will be citicised for his decisions. I have some empathy for him at the toss but they got at least one selection wrong.
Pat Cummins would have batted and it wasn’t a green seamer – not that far from a typical wicket, just slower.
But the team he picked dictated that toss decision, because he included a spinner and he would have wanted him to make an impact in the second innings. Whereas if the team had Stuart Broad instead of Jack Leach, he would have had to have bowled first.
You can’t pick a full list of fast bowlers, win the toss on a green pitch and then bat. That makes no sense. So the selection made batting first the option.
What a contrast for Cummins’ first Test as a skipper. He will have to face harder tests but he’s a certainly a very relaxed character.
Travis Head seems to have benefitted from that straight away with Cummins sending him out to play his own game.
And we got a look at Cummins’ approach to DRS on an early one, where we saw Smith and Carey really debating it before Cummins came in.
Alex Carey. (Photo by Matt Roberts – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
It shows it’s far from being a dictatorship under him, and there’s certain delegations by the team. That means it doesn’t stress the captain as much but it also shows it’s a captain who’s a more democratic captain, and he doesn’t have to do it all. So I thought signs were pretty good.
That dynamic will get tested but how he responds depends on personality.
Mark Taylor very rarely got flustered as captain. When Tubby had that lean stretch of 18 months Geoff Marsh, our coach at the time, would sometimes offer to do the press conferences for him.
It would have been easy to say yes but every time he fronted up for them. Patty seems to have a similarly unflappable temperament. That’s not to say he won’t get frustrated, but they don’t tend to show their emotions as much.
Most of the team had a positive impact – even Marcus Harris, by scoring those winning runs, will head into the second Test with a little bit of positivity.
Alex Carey missed out both innings but he broke a record with eight catches on debut – and he kept beautifully. A big tick there with good energy and provides leadership even in his first Test.
I think he did enough to end Tim Paine’s Test career. I think Painey was going to finish up this series anyway.
We felt that Painey was the best gloveman in Australia but there was nothing I saw from Carey that suggests he’s not an excellent Test class wicketkeeper.
His temperament’s very good and he’ll be a good ally for Cummins. I wouldn’t go back now and I don’t think the selectors will either.
Keepers are like umpires – when you don’t notice them it means they’ve had a great match. A couple of takes down the legside were top class and it just felt like there was Velcro in his gloves the way it hit them. He’s set for a long stint.
Green missed out with a first baller but it was easily his best Test with the ball.
Smithy missed out too but there were times not that long ago when if Smith missed out we were cooked. The team that they’re building now, we can win Test matches without Smithy dominating.
Marnus batted beautifully, Warner toughed it out and got runs.
Hazlewood was a concern but Cummins suggested they were managing his workload. If all are fit then the same XI play in Adelaide.
For England there are a lot more concerns and questions.
I wouldn’t change their batting because one Test is not enough to give them. But they have to get their bowling right in a hurry.
Broad should have played this Test and you can make a debate that James Anderson should have too.
Jack Leach had a quicker hundred than Travis Head. Can he play again in the series? I wouldn’t play him in Adelaide. I’d use Joe Root’s off spin and and I’d play the extra quick. So I’d bring in Broad and Anderson for Leach and Chris Woakes.
They like Woakes as a cricketer in England and he does strengthen their batting a bit. But I haven’t seen anything in his bowling in this Test match to suggest that he will do any better than he did here four years ago.
I’m assuming Stokes will be better for the run.
If they can get their attack right they can stay in the series. I think Robinson and Wood will enjoy bowling out here but they need constant bowling partnerships.
Bowlologist
Expert
I like Richardson and Neser both would do well in Adelaide but I would be going Richardson . Already played a couple of Test and was impressive and was in red hot form in SS leading into Tests
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Be careful will cricket Australias pets and Tassie or and Paine pr squad will come for you with comments lime that although I note Cummins Carey and smith have just silenced them a bit more which was inevitable they just wouldn't accept what was best for Australia with captaincy and on field decision making for which was so obvious it wasn't funny during uk ashes
Pierro
Roar Rookie
On home soil it may even get hard to distinguish but I’d favour ussie for time being Harris has had four seasons of attempts at opening now and av 22 is terrible . The question for me is who we will we trust to open in India Pakistan and Sri Lanka this coming year . Can’t even be confident over warner over there . We have four tests to work out the equation , two of them pink ball which can be tricky to bat on but really Australia is in a pickle and it’s messy with openers as warner is ageing and getting injuries although he battled well despite repeated luck at brisbane and now potentially injured again
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Baffling that since uk ashes or really since Chris Rogers we have not found a solid opening pair and warners.days may be a bit numbered post this series although I admired the way he battled last innings at his age though some realities may enter and I'm not sure he will get many abroad . Street and hunt may be the future in the coming year and whiteman looks fairly solid too but not sure he will get a chance
matth
Roar Guru
I honestly don’t know who is best against spin. I theory Hunt would have more exposure, having SA as his home but they are all openers. Khawaja’s opening stats come from a tiny sample size a number of years ago. I’d still use him if Warner is out, just to have done experience up top.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
He certainly did we slowly need to start looking at new candidates . Question for all including you Matt . I don’t know the answer or if there is any stats . Which of hunt street and whiteman play best against spin . We have three tours of subcontinent coming up this year . We better get our act together with openers for that tour . I just read some stat that khawaja has an insane average opening of over 70 and that this Adelaide test could turn in to a play off of who will bat with warner at mcg
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Richardson was brilliant pre injury and no reason why he's not the go to bowler on recent form although abbot steketeke and neser have bowled very well in the last few months
Andrew
Roar Rookie
MarkD, we did get new selectors. George Bailey started after the 2019 Ashes, Tony Dodemaide has only just started. Justin Langer is still there. I think your demand to change selectors every time they choose someone you do not prefer is ridiculous. You are behaving like a child.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
In addition to new ball wickets, he also got some reverse in Hobart when he came back on in the 30th over of the 2nd innings just as the cloud moved in and the air became a bit thicker. Two wickets in that spell I think. Two things stood out for me in that match - I can't recall which innings - but one was an outswinging delivery from over the wicket to the right hander, catching the edge and caught behind. The second was an outswinger from around the wicket to the left hander which caught the edge and went to first slip. It showed a really good all round game.
JGK
Roar Guru
I wonder if they might want a RH opener?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I expect he will make the next Ashes tour.
matth
Roar Guru
Street put in a good few days in the A game.
matth
Roar Guru
Apparently Richardson did very well in his last run in Hobart
matth
Roar Guru
Neser will do a job if selected, no doubt. If we need another injury cover.
matth
Roar Guru
Captain’s Call :stoked: . There was a bowling captain in the 1950’s, Ian Johnson? His teammates called him myxomatosis because he always killed the rabbits.
matth
Roar Guru
Even as a Queenslander, I agree with that. Neser wouldn’t let anyone down, like Bird in the past, he would do a good job as a fill in. He’s also been very unlucky with his timing. But Richardson just has so much upside, he could be a 10 year bowler for us. Just imagine going to England and opening the bowling with Richardson’s skiddy swing and Hazlewood/Cummins bounce and seam at the other end. It’s enough to make you giddy. Richardson is the real deal.
matth
Roar Guru
The fact is, Khawaja is simply not a specialist opener. His opening credentials are from only a few innings some years ago. He is great cover in the squad because he could do it at a pinch (therefore the perfect concussion sub), but he is no long or even medium term solution n the opening spot. They would be better off going to the next generation, or convincing the QLD selectors to swop Renshaw and Burns in their batting order.
matth
Roar Guru
I agree this dismissal doesn’t tell us much, but the 10 tests before that are starting to at least provide us a few chapters. The fact is, no one is knocking down the door as an opener so Harris’ recent first class record entitled him to first go. Street is waiting in the wings.
matth
Roar Guru
This season they are new selectors. Harris was a logical pick, performing as well as anyone else at Shield level.
matth
Roar Guru
It might be that Bryce Street’s performance on a tough pitch in the A games did just as much to end Usman’s short term prospects. If Warner doesn’t come up I’d say they will use Khawaja, but if Harris fails in the next two tests, and if Puovski isn’t back yet, Street might do a sneaky rails run. They are going to need some sort of plan for the three away tours in 2022.