Magnificent Australia Fan Life Into The Ashes

 

 

Ashes 2013

 

Australia’s Great Opportunity

 

August 4^th

 

[09:00 CEST] Australia have a magnificent opportunity to push for victory today and to get back into the series. England are 34 short of the follow-on, with Broad and Prior at the crease and only Swann and Anderson to come. Without Pietersen’s century England would be in a mess. However, with rain threatening, if England get past the follow-on mark things will get tricky, because there will have to be a careful balance between the target and the remaining time. This is definitely the moment when England would appreciate Matt Prior discovering some batting form and making a 50. The third new ball should not come into play and the old ball should be pretty soft by now. It is the sort of situation that Prior should thrive in and a 50 from him plus 30-odd from Broad and/or Swann would be manna from heaven for England.

The fortunes of the attacks of the two sides have been contrasting. Whereas England relied on Graeme Swann who managed a 5-for despite obviously not well, while the seamers looked threatening, but were unlucky, Australia’s spinners are yet to take a wicket (despite plenty of near misses), but the seamers have looked magnificent. On a fifth day pitch that was turning even on the first day Graeme Swann may yet prove to be a decisive force in the Test.

The key to this Test has been the fact that Australia have, for the first time in the series, picked a side with the best possible balance and their best attack. They have had some luck – as England did in the first two Tests – and have used it. Steve Smith should never have reached 25, but made it count for a big score and, with runs to defend, the bowlers have been magnificent on a good batting surface.

If the bowlers can make one last effort and knock over England’s last three wickets quickly, the win should follow. If England could get the deficit down to 150, strange things may yet happen if Michael Clarke over-attacks.

Australia are showing that this series will not end in a 5-0 blowout. That can only be good for the series. However, England need just one good day today and the Ashes will be retained.