The Final Scenes of Act I of The Ashes

 

 

Ashes 2013

 

The Final Act of Part I Starts

 

August 21^st

 

[09:00 CEST] It is hard to believe that the series is almost over now. It feels as if it has barely started and, in time terms, it has. A modern Ashes series has become a tremendously compressed affair with the games in an extremely compressed timeframe. The Ashes tour started on June 26^th and has featured two 4-day matches, a 3-day match, a 2-day match and 5 Tests, all ending August 25^th at latest. Wind back 60 years to the famous Jubilee series in 1953 and, then, the Australian played 5 Tests, each with a Sunday rest day and no less than 33, 3-day matches against the counties (Glamorgan were somewhat miffed to get just one game against the tourists), plus innumerable festival and other matches. Mind you, the 1953 tour started in April and went through to September, with the players away from home almost 7 months.

Word is that the pitch looks extremely dry, again. Chris Tremlett will, barring some dreadful accident over breakfast, play. And Australia have only made two changes to their side this time, plus changes in batting order, coming up with a somewhat daring selection. Khawaja and Bird have been replaced by two bowlers: Faulkner and Starc. This is a major risk in the sense that Smith stays at 5, with Haddin at 6 and Faulkner at 7: Smith is reckoned to be too high at 5 by most observers and Haddin has, outside his two fifties, not passed 13. It gives Australia potentially a very long and extremely exposed tail, with the specialists ending with Michael Clarke at 4. However, as Australia’s biggest single problem has been their inability to back up good starts by the bowlers and knock England over cheaply even when 3-down for very little, the logic is undisputable. Australia will play four specialist bowlers, a bowling all-rounder, plus Watson and Smith: they should not lack options should a stand start growing. It also reduces the load on Ryan Harris, who is breaking new ground here with a fourth consecutive match and Shane Watson. Australia will rely on its top 5 to make enough runs for the bowlers to defend.

Matt Wade has missed out at the last minute and Ashton Agar is already on his way home to Australia, going from Wunderkind to forgotten man overnight. As for poor Ed Cowan, who knows where he is? Since playing in the 1^st Test he seems to have disappeared. Phil Hughes must also be wondering what he has done to offend the gods: having looked almost certain to come back and bat at 3,  he is, again, overlooked and Shane Watson gets the #3 slot. Given that, apart from Faulkner who has only one completed innings, it is Phil Hughes that tops the Australian averages for the tour by some distance, he can feel a little hard done by but, there is no doubt that in Tests, bowlers have his measure and find ways to get him out.

One, somewhat cynical fan, stated that as the tail has got most of Australia’s runs in the series, starting the tail at #5 today may be a masterstroke to ensure the best batting performance so far, It is a high-risk strategy that could see Australia fold for under 100 but, if it makes the top order knuckle down, it could also bring huge rewards. At least Australia are trying something different with the aim of making a real stand here. The margins between success and failure have been small during the series have been small and England know that it may say “3-0”, but they have had a real battle on their hands.

Part I of “The Ashes – a work in Two Acts” is about to end. Both sides want to ensure that they have momentum on their side for the start of Act 2 in November.

[11:00CEST] Watching Darren Lehmann’s face on the balcony during Australia’s amazing collapse on the 4^th evening of the 4^th Test makes you feel sorry for him. A decent, honest cricketer and coach he finds himself cast not so much as Moses, parting the waves, but rather as King Canute, being engulfed by them, knowing full well that there is nothing that he can do to stop them. As did Duncan Fletcher in 1999, Lehmann knows that it could take years to see tangible results from his influence. Australian cricket is unforgiving with failure and he must know now that his first year in the job may be a very tough one.

Contrast that though to Duncan Fletcher. His fall from grace with England was huge and largely unmerited with the same people who had lauded him, delighting in taking him down when things went wrong. After a difficult start with India – it took only two or three Tests for a segment of the Indian fans to call for his immediate sacking – India is, once again, on the up and up. The limits to India’s Test success are likely to be limited mainly by the antiquated administration of the BCCI rather than the playing potential of the talented side that Duncan Fletcher has put together.

[1400CEST] Too many knee-jerk reactions out there. As soon as a session goes badly the same comments are made. At Chester-le-Street people were complaining that only Ian Bell was worth his place in the side as Australia seemingly cruised to victory, despite the fact that all series we had seen how fast the situation could change.

England have caused a major surprise by picking Woakes (I posted on Sunday that I expected him to play) and Kerrigan and the latter has had a nightmare start going for 28 in his first two overs. However, both have performed consistently for the last two seasons in Division 1 of the County Championship and have earned their chance. England have to discover whether or not they can hack it at the top level because, as in 2005/06, there will come a time when there is an injury crisis and you are going to need to field several replacements for a full series. Even Ian Botham had a nervous start for England in 1977, being hit out of the attack in his first spell by Greg Chapell. Mike Brearley kept faith in him and he came back with 5 wickets later in the innings. Instant judgements are rarely good judgements.

If Australia are 600-3 at Tea tomorrow, fans and pundits can say that the selectors have got it wrong. Lunch on Day 1 is just ridiculously early for snap judgements.